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With new Suns general manager Brian Gregory set to address the media for the first time Tuesday, the belief remains that Phoenix will target a first-time NBA head coach to fill their vacancy.
Washington Wizards assistant coach Adam Caporn is among those expected to draw consideration for the vacant head coaching position for the Suns, HoopsHype has learned.
Caporn was recently named head coach of Australia’s men’s national basketball team after serving as an assistant over the program’s last four major tournament campaigns, including winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Previously, several other potential first-time coaches have been linked to the Suns head coaching vacancy, including multiple coaches on the same teams, including Cleveland assistants Jordan Ott and Johnnie Bryant, Rockets assistants Royal Ivey and Ben Sullivan, and Mavericks assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley.
Last offseason, Ott was one of two finalists to be Hornets head coach with Charles Lee. He’s recently worked with Cavaliers Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley.
Bryant is an associate head coach for the Cavaliers, helping guide the team to the No. 1 seed in the East while reuniting with star Donovan Mitchell, whom he helped develop in Utah. Before Cleveland, Bryant was an associate head coach with the Knicks for four seasons.
Ivey, a former 10-year NBA veteran, is well-liked and relatable with players and recently impressed executives across the league as South Sudan’s head coach in the Olympics.
Sullivan is known around the league for developing shooters and has worked as an assistant coach under Ime Udoka, Joe Mazzulla, Mike Budenholzer twice, and Gregg Popovich.
Sweeney was a finalist for Detroit’s vacancy with JB Bickerstaff this past offseason and has been knocking on the door for his first head coaching job over the years.
One of Dudley’s strongest attributes is his ability to connect with players of all levels, including superstars, role players, and rookies. The former Suns forward has been an assistant coach on Jason Kidd’s staff in Dallas since the 2021-22 season.
As previously reported by HoopsHype, Oklahoma City assistant coach Dave Bliss will also draw consideration from Phoenix. Bliss, the Thunder’s lead assistant coach and defensive coordinator, helped guide the team to a first-round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Miami Heat associate head coach Chris Quinn, who’s also been linked as a potential candidate in multiple reports, has worked for the organization for 10 years after his seven-year NBA playing career.
Lastly, Phoenix is weighing whether to add candidates with coaching experience, such as Dave Joerger and James Borrego, to its coaching search, per The Stein Line.
Joerger won 50-plus games twice with Memphis in his first two seasons as coach and advanced as far as the Western Conference Semifinals. Since then, he spent three seasons as coach of the Sacramento Kings, three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach, and last season as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Borrego had consecutive seasons in Charlotte where the Hornets won 10 more games than the previous season before he became Pelicans associate head coach.
HoopsHype also mentioned Borrego as a potential candidate on April 16.
