NBA Rumors: Mike Budenholzer Seen as Unlikely to Land Suns HC Job; 76ers Linked

Don't expect to see Mike Budenholzer end up as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the former Milwaukee Bucks head coach is "not seen as a likely candidate for the Suns, sources said, while he's among the six names Philadelphia is considering for its position."

That mirrors other reporting and speculation surrounding the Suns' coaching search:

It's possible that several contending teams will play musical chairs with the head coaches they fired this offseason.

The Sixers axed Doc Rivers, but, per multiple reports, they have Budenholzer, Nick Nurse, Monty Williams, Frank Vogel, Mike D'Antoni and Sam Cassell as candidates in their coaching search.

The Bucks fired Budenholzer and have narrowed their search to Nurse, Kenny Atkinson and Adrian Griffin, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Suns moved on from Williams but have Nurse as a "primary candidate," per Fischer, and Rivers is "expected to receive consideration from Phoenix's new regime under owner Mat Ishbia."

Given that Nurse is the one name mentioned in all three of the most prominent coaching openings this offseason, it seems like he's currently sitting atop the coaching market. Where he settles will likely shape how the market unfolds.

It certainly would be a surprise if Budenholzer didn't end up landing a job this offseason. The 53-year-old has an impressive 484-317 record in his career, leading the Atlanta Hawks to four playoff appearances in five seasons and the Bucks to five straight postseason berths and a title in the 2020-21 season.

His regular-season success can't be denied, though in the playoffs some of his schemes and lack of adjustments have been heavily scrutinized. There's little doubt his teams will play solid defense, but at times his half-court offenses have stagnated come the postseason.

Still, it's hard to imagine him being without a head coaching gig for long.