Phoenix Suns part ways with Monty Williams after four seasons | CBS Sports

breaking news into CBS Sports HQ. The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Monty Williams, our NBA insider, Bill Ryder confirming postseason expectations were high for Phoenix after acquiring KD Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets midseason. But after getting eliminated to second round by the Nuggets, new old Governor Matt Ishby decided to make a change. Williams leaves after four seasons with the Suns. Had a record of one, 94 and 115. Let's go ahead and bring in our CBS Sports NBA insider. There is Bill Ryder.

And Bill, your reaction here, Monty Williams at the four seasons there took the Suns to an NBA finals back in 2021. But I guess it's those last couple of years there are big loss at home to the Dallas Mavericks last year. 33 point home loss and then of course this season to the Denver Nuggets with 25 point loss. How much did that play into this and Monty Williams being shown the door by the Suns? Yeah, Larry, my understanding of the conversations that I had the last few days and the text messages that I've been trying to get out and get back in the last few minutes is that's more I think of an excuse for a change that ownership wanted to make. Obviously Matt Ishby took this team over not that long ago. We saw Isaiah Thomas, the Hall of Famer sitting next to him at some of those games as I understand it from sources. Isaiah Thomas will be heavily involved in one way or another in directing this organization and we know in any business, our business, sports business, the NBA anything when there's a change of ownership, when there's a change of bosses, when there's a change of leadership, they often want their own people and to bring in their own folks and I think Monty Williams is just the victim of that reality and those losses and that playoff loss gave this front office and this new ownership group, I think the excuse and the opportunity to make the change they probably wanted to make all along.

Yeah, you look at Matt Ishby of course, played at Michigan State. We saw the sort of interaction they had there with the Joker during the playoffs with holding the ball and things of that nature. What do you think his philosophy is and why would he make a change if no new owners want to make a change but what is he trying to get here? Is it just because they got Katie and they feel like maybe they need a new voice there in the Valley of the Sun? Yeah, I don't know enough about Ishby yet and his tenure being so short to tell you what his philosophy is but he's been pretty vocal. You're right, there's the Okich moment, just some of his interviews and his conversations with the press. He's been pretty up front that he's going to be very, very involved and again, it is very natural for people especially billionaires but even people who are used to running things to want to run things with their own coach and their own folks. Honestly Larry, I heard a week or two ago just some scuttle but that this was a possibility and you hear rumors all the time in my position talking to folks around the NBA. I didn't believe it.

I mean, it made sense. I understand these things happen but I thought, man, Monty Williams, what two-time coach of the year, believe he has the best coaching record in the NBA over the last couple years. He's really, really well respected and really beloved. Not by DeAndre Hayton but by most the people that are in that organization, in that locker room and so but it turned out it was true and again, I think this is not about a philosophical disagreement. I don't think it should be a look that Monty Williams said, oh, I want something different. I think it should be a look to this and said I want my own person and again, he has surrounded himself with different people. Isaiah Thomas, obviously a Hall of Famer, former GM, former coach has had a spotty track record but I think he's done a pretty nice job in those situations at times despite the narrative now.

I know sources tell me that some of Isaiah Thomas' people have already been brought into the front office kind of quietly so you have a new group of people who are starting to take over. Obviously, James Jones is still there but I think this is directed by Ishbya. I don't think it's a philosophical paradigm shift. I think it's a guy who's got a bunch of money that bought a team that wants to do things his way and probably believes that he can bring in somebody better than the last regime. Bill, we live in an instant coffee sort of world, our instant coffee generation here. What have you done for me lately? We saw Bud get fired by the Milwaukee Bucks after winning a title a couple years ago. Beat Monty Williams in those Phoenix Suns, came back in one of the last four games in 2021.

How much did that sort of play into this sort of narrative that hey, it's about what you've done lately and for Monty Williams, there hasn't been a lot lately for the Phoenix Suns with the roster that they have constructed there. It's a lot of it and look, I don't know because I have not heard back from sources. I don't know who Phoenix is targeting. I don't know but to your point, I mean Mike Budenholzer has won an NBA championship. Nick Nurse, who's available, has won an NBA championship. Monty Williams is not one of the NBA championship as a head coach but he's very well regarded. So maybe we'll have some other teams be surprising who they fire because there are some really nice choices that are out there and you're right.

It's a very instant coffee as you said what have you done the last 30 seconds reality and sometimes organizations overreact and just decide that the grass is going to be greener somewhere else. We'll see if that's true in Toronto, we'll see if that's true in Milwaukee. We're certainly going to see if that's true in Phoenix. I will say this in defense of Monty Williams and life isn't fair. I get it. This is the way the world works but they brought in Kevin Durant and traded away all their depth and anyone who's ever been around the NBA knows and every GM would have told you if you asked him like I did, players would have told you that the Suns are very unlikely to make a deep run this year because literally no team has ever made a trade of that magnitude and been able to win with a handful of games as a group in the regular season. This Suns experiment was always going to be predicated I think Larry and most people around the NBA think I want to have the next year when a coach can get in camp and these guys can get used to each other where Durant and this group can just figure out how to play together.

So fair not fair to Monty Williams. I'm sure he is I'm sure he is shocked and this becomes at least from my money as good as that Milwaukee job is maybe the best job in the NBA that's open right now because you have Kevin Durant, you have Devin Booker you're talking two legitimate superstars I know there's cap issues coming up I know there's not a lot of depth but you've got two of the best 10-15 players in the game and this is a great job and a great opportunity for whoever they eventually turn to. A very attractive job. Real quickly before I let you get out of here Bill I'm going to throw some names at you. What about Bud, Nick Nurse, what about Ty Loo we're hearing about his name and the Clippers maybe he wants to get out of that situation with those two players that they have there with the claw and also PG being hurt the last few seasons what are you hearing about that? Oh I haven't heard anything about Ty Loo but I think it's excellent speculation I mean I certainly have talked to people who are under the impression that Ty Loo might be interested in seeing that there's a better situation somewhere else and again to what I just said we just talked about this is the best job that's out there so if it is true and I've certainly heard that the Ty Loo has got a bit of a wandering eye and he's tired of load management university over here not far from me with the Clippers as good as that Milwaukee job is as interesting to a lesser degree as Toronto is depending on how you think that roster is going to shape out Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Deondre Aitin that is a really maybe Chris Paul will see whether he's there next year that's a really nice group to build around I think Ty Loo or any literally any coach or would be coach in the NBA who is looking for a job is going to look lovingly and longingly at the Phoenix Suns. Very attractive job with KD and Book saw what they were able to do in the playoffs went to the finals just two seasons ago. Monty Williams fired up the four seasons with the Phoenix Suns.

You'll see various sports NBA Insider, Bill Ryder Bill really appreciate you joining us here at a last minutes notice. You can see Suns up. Playoff exits under Monty Williams we just saw one a couple days ago Thursday in the Valley of the Sun they lost that series four games to two six games to the Denver Nuggets who are the top seed in the Western Conference finals got to be about 25 there in Phoenix in the Valley of the Sun that we mentioned last year Western Conference games seven on their home court and they get blown out by Luca and the Mavs one 23 to 90 after 33 point loss NBA finals two seasons ago 2021 up 2-0 against the Milwaukee Bucks lose the final four games to Yanis we remember the 50 point game in the Bucks winning their first title in almost 50 years. Monty Williams out with the Phoenix Suns after four seasons in the Valley of the Sun and they lost that series four games to the Denver Nuggets and they got blown out by the Mavs one 23 to 90 after 33 point game in the Valley of the Sun and they got blown out by the Mavs one 23 to 90 after 33 point game in the Valley of the Sun and they got blown out by the Mavs one 23 to 90 after 33 point game in the Valley of the Sun and they got blown out by the Mavs one 23 to 90 after 33 point game in the Valley of the Sun.

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