Suns hire Jordan Ott - why it's no surprise

Yahoo

07-06-2025

Yahoo Sports contributing NBA writer Tom Haberstroh and NBA writer Dan Devine discuss Phoenix's choice to be its new head coach and why governor Mat Ishbia's ties to Michigan State may have played a role in the decision. Hear the full conversation on 'The Big Number' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Look man, when they did that coaching search, and they had a list of like 25 candidates, and I, I literally said, is there one that went to Michigan State?
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cause that person is getting the job.
And sure enough, not to discredit Jordan not, he's been around the league for a long time, but like the way that Matt Isa has run this team, selecting Brian Gregory, a former college coach to be his GM.
Michigan State assistant coach to be his GM, it reminds me of the Charlotte Hornets under Michael Jordan when he hired Mitch Kupchak, former Chapel Hill guy, uh, UNC guy, Mitch Mitch Kupchak to be his GM and Buzz Peterson, Michael Jordan's roommate at college to be the assistant GM.
It just feels like that recipe of of.
Of hiring your buddies, hiring your college buddies, isn't necessarily a recipe for success, but it is something you can do as an owner.
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Like, you pay $4 billion for this team.
You want to take care of your guys, your buddies, you're more than welcome to do that.
That is within your right.
I just don't think that that is necessarily a recipe for success.
And we've already seen.
That Kevin Durant is reportedly gonna be shot this summer and might be on the trade block.
It's not the first time that like friends have hired friends into the front office.
We just saw over there in in in Utah that Danny Ainge, the CEO of the Utah Jazz, are hiring Austin Ainge, his son, to run the basketball ops for the team.
So like keeping things all in the family, that's always been true in the NBA previous to the Jordan not higher.
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The Phoenix Suns went with Monty Williams, who brought them to an NBA Finals.
They went with Frank Vogel, who won an NBA championship.
They went with Mike Budenhouser, who won an NBA championship.
None of that worked, so why not get a guy who went to the same school as you?
Like, if, if we're, if we're the, the process of going, like, we need somebody with championship experience, if that's not panning out, then try something different.
Who knows?
I I don't know, 40 year old guy with some good references and who went to the same school as me.
Sure, what the hell?
Why not?
Let's give it a shot.
Devin Booker, you like him?
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Great.
Sounds tremendous.
Uh, you know, who knows?
Uh, the, the, the process and the and the, the approach in the last few years in Phoenix has left something to be desired, a different process.
Sure, why not?
Tough stuff over there in Phoenix, but, uh, congrats to Jordan not on the, on the gig, uh, curious to see how that goes.