Mike Budenholzer agrees to huge contract with Suns

Mar 9, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns are on the verge of finalizing their hire of Mike Budenholzer as head coach, and they certainly appear to have gone all-out financially to land the former NBA champion.

Budenholzer has agreed to a five-year contract with the Suns that is worth upwards of $50 million, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. That contract would make Budenholzer one of the highest-paid coaches in the league at over $10 million annually.

Mike Budenholzer has agreed to terms on a five-year, $50-plus million deal to become the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Suns land the two-time NBA Coach of the Year and Arizona native. pic.twitter.com/FknlqMY6nD

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 10, 2024

Former Suns coach Frank Vogel also got a five-year contract when the team hired him a year ago. Vogel’s deal, however, was worth a comparatively paltry $31 million, so the Suns are really stepping up here.

Budenholzer is certainly a clear winner here, as he gets to take over an organization led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and will be paid big money to do it. He was likely helped by interest from another Western Conference team, enabling him to get a lot of money out of Phoenix.