Suns to hire Mike Budenholzer as new head coach: report

PHOENIX - Less than 24 hours after firing Frank Vogel, the Phoenix Suns have reportedly already found his replacement.

The Suns plan to hire former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.

"The Holbrook, Ariz., native will be tasked with optimizing Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal," Charania wrote on X.

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 28: Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer looks on during an NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls on December 28, 2022, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Budenholzer's Bucks beat the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. He was fired last year after Milwaukee was eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

After the Suns fired Vogel on Thursday, ESPN reported that Budenholzer was Phoenix's top head coaching target.

Vogel lasted just one season in the desert after the Suns were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"After a thoughtful review of the season, we concluded that we needed a different head coach for our team," Suns General Manager James Jones said in a statement.

Before arriving in Phoenix, Vogel led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA championship in 2020. He was fired by the Lakers in 2022.