Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer had completed just one year of his five-year, $50-million deal following the 2024-25 season, but with the Phoenix Suns having missed the Play-in Tournament with a record of 36-46, Coach Bud was fired nonetheless. There will be plenty of blame to go around in the Valley, but how much of it lies at the feet of the head coach that was supposed to bring championship pedigree to an underperforming organization? Stephen A. Smith weighed in on just how much criticism Budenholzer deserves.
Mike Budenholzer Fired By the Phoenix Suns After 1 Season
While Mike Budenholzer’s last year in Milwaukee was defined by a league-leading 58 wins and an a Giannis Antetokounmpo-led squad that many felt were championship favorites, his last days were defined by a sluggish team languishing in the first round, losing to the 8-seed Miami Heat in five games as Antetokounmpo sat on the bench due to injury. Budenholzer was fired after the series and was out of the NBA until 2024.
Joining the Phoenix Suns, one of the Western Conference’s many potent teams, Budenholzer had the opportunity to coach a big three in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Budenholzer was taking over a team that, despite winning 49 games the previous season, was swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Owner Matt Ishbia felt that the former Bucks head man was the answer to their postseason performance problems.
Yet Budenholzer never coached a single playoff game for the team. After a disastrous 36-46 season that does not reflect the amount of talent on the roster, Budenholzer was fired after just one season.
Stephen A Smith Defends Mike Budenholzer
Stephen A. Smith was asked on First Take just how much blame various members of the Suns deserve, including Budenholzer, Ishbia, and Durant. Smith wasted no time in getting down to his answer.
“98% of their problems, falls on ownership and the decisions that they have made.”
Smith pointed to rash coaching hires as one of the aforementioned decisions. Budenholzer’s predecessor Frank Vogel was also only given one season and was fired after their playoff meltdown last year. Vogel and Budenholzer’s times in Phoenix are quite comparable. Both former NBA champion head coaches were brought in to make an immediate difference, and when they failed to show results in their first season, were quickly shown the door.
While Budenholzer has certainly had his detractors this season, it seems both the media and the fans both have many other people to point to first. Bradley Beal has been called one of the worst contracts in the NBA and is commonly clowned by fans for his no-trade clause hamstringing the team from making a progressive trade. Stephen A. Smith allocated his remaining 2% of the blame to Durant, partly due to his inability to lead the team in the locker room but also for continuing to deny that there was a problem within the team.
Budenholzer will be one of the higher-profile names on the head coaching market this next season, and the former champion with the Milwaukee Bucks could look to pick up his career with a new team, perhaps one with a less volatile front office.
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