Monty Williams is suddenly viewed by some as a coach who is on the hot seat, and there is one team that may try to pry him away from the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns were eliminated from the postseason with a blowout home loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Williams’ name has come up among NBA personnel when discussing potential candidates for the Milwaukee Bucks head coach job.
Williams signed an extension with the Suns last summer following a season in which he was named NBA Coach of the Year. That new deal does not even kick in until the 2024-25 season, so it would cost Phoenix a ton of money to fire him.
The Suns have a new owner in Mat Ishbia and are expected to make front office changes, which is one reason some feel Williams’ job could be in jeopardy. Still, firing him would seem like a knee-jerk reaction after the team dealt with numerous injuries to key players.
Past success has not resulted in job security for a handful of NBA coaches recently. We were reminded of that with the alarming streak that continued when the Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer.
Williams has led the Suns to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, including an NBA Finals appearance three years ago. The Western Conference semifinals losses last year and this season were disappointing, but we doubt Phoenix is ready to let him walk just yet.
