PHOENIX — Since the uninspired end of last season, one that did not include the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns, one of 10 NBA teams without a title, have held three news conferences, all important, all with different themes.
The first included owner Mat Ishbia, and he expressed frustration with the Suns’ performance under dismissed coach Mike Budenholzer. Ishbia promised more involvement from the top in forming an identity based on toughness, and later sent a letter to his basketball operations staff explaining this in greater detail.
The second featured new general manager Brian Gregory, a college basketball lifer who had spent two years with the organization, the first as a consultant, the second as vice president of player programming. Gregory’s message focused on the importance of alignment, from ownership to front office to head coach.
The third unfolded Tuesday. The Suns introduced new head coach Jordan Ott at the team’s practice facility. Ott is the organization’s fourth head coach in four seasons and arguably the most important in a couple of decades. With the Suns looking to trade Kevin Durant and possibly discard Bradley Beal, it will be Ott’s responsibility to create a system that brings out the best in franchise guard Devin Booker while fostering a cohesiveness that ultimately determines how deep this reset will go.
Ott, 40, came off well. He paid respect to those he’s learned from throughout his 12-year NBA journey. He said he never presumed this day would come, reaching the top of his profession, he just kept working. The theme of Ott’s media session wasn’t as easy to identify as Ishbia’s or Gregory’s, but it might carry the most weight in the franchise’s direction.
Curiosity.
It started in the video room, Ott said, a place where he worked long hours in college, on Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State (more on this soon), then later under Budenholzer (oh, the irony) with the Atlanta Hawks. “I think a part of being in the video room, you have to be curious, to learn to know that you don’t have all the answers,’’ Ott said. “I think I have carried that with me.”
The Suns tried championship coaches in Budenholzer and Frank Vogel, both here and gone after one season. Ott arrives at a completely different stage of his career, a beginning phase, a different personality. Ott came across as confident, not concerned about proving anyone right or wrong, just wanting to continue on the path he’s on.
He credited Kenny Atkinson, a head coach he worked for with the Brooklyn Nets and last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, calling him “the most curious man in basketball,’’ and a model to follow. “There’s other ways to learn about the game, but also best practices in the training room, best practices in the weight room,’’ Ott said. “That’s what I strive to do, is to be curious and continue to learn.”
The Suns promised this search would be thorough. It was. Gregory confirmed the Suns started with 15 candidates. In the beginning, the general manager talked with Phoenix players and others around the league about the profile of a successful head coach. He said feedback was similar. Players wanted someone who could help them grow as players while also molding their talents into team success. They wanted standards, someone who held them accountable. They also wanted someone who cared about them beyond basketball.
“Substance commands the room,” a former Suns standout told Gregory.
Gregory said Ott stood out in every phase.
“I’ve earned this opportunity so that excites me.”
🗣️ Head Coach Jordan Ott pic.twitter.com/tp9Tp7IDOz
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 10, 2025
This all sounds great on Day 1, when so many hurdles have yet to form. Ott seemed to understand as much. He needs to build trust with the roster, which won’t be finalized for weeks. He needs to change a mentality that’s leaned on star power instead of toughness. Ott stressed the importance of playing early in the shot clock, of crisp offensive movement and of finding ways to get extra possessions. He summed up his defensive philosophy with three words: “All-out effort.”
There’s also the alignment part. Last week, Ishbia sent a letter to his basketball ops staff, praising Gregory’s performance after just a few weeks and expressing excitement about what Ott will bring. He also promised change. Ishbia said for two years he ran the “typical NBA owner playbook” — hiring experts, signing checks and getting out of the way. It didn’t work. Moving forward, he plans to be more involved.
“I will be extremely active in the decisions and management of this organization, on and off the floor,’’ Ishbia wrote to his staff in a letter obtained by The Athletic. “While I won’t be reviewing film, designing offenses, or running the draft room, I will be deeply involved in ensuring that basketball operations, like every other area of our organization, is performing at the highest level.”
Ishbia, Gregory and Ott share a bond. All three have a Michigan State background. Ishbia played for the Spartans as a walk-on guard. Gregory twice coached on Izzo’s staff. Ott was a graduate assistant and video coordinator. While many have joked about Phoenix’s Michigan State “alignment,” Ott on Tuesday said he didn’t meet Gregory until the Suns visited the Cavs in January. He didn’t meet Ishbia until the final stage of this interview process.
“I’ll say it like this: I’ve earned the right to be here,’’ Ott said. “I’ve spent 20 years working as hard as I possibly can to be in this spot. I’ve been around great people — great coaches, great players — to allow me to grow, put me in tough spots to see if I can get better. I’m going to work as hard as I can from here on out and to prove I’m here for the right reasons.”
This is a new start in Phoenix. Western Conference contention probably will take time, but quick reversals are not uncommon. Ott pointed out how far the Indiana Pacers have gone in a short stretch, how the Cavaliers went from 48 to 64 regular-season wins in one year.
“We can make that jump, but we’re going to do it in a systematic way,” Ott said. “… To build this thing out right.”
(Photo of Jordan Ott: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
