Sources: Suns HC job down to Cavs' Bryant, Ott

The Phoenix Suns person narrowed their caput coaching hunt to 2 finalists from the Cleveland Cavaliers, subordinate manager Johnnie Bryant and adjunct Jordan Ott, sources told ESPN connected Monday.

Both Bryant and Ott volition conscionable with Suns proprietor Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and wide manager Brian Gregory successful Michigan arsenic soon arsenic aboriginal this week, sources said.

After firing Mike Budenholzer connected April 14 and naming Gregory arsenic the caller GM connected May 1, the Suns embarked connected a broad coaching search. Gregory led a multi-round process that began with implicit 15 coaching interviews. A radical of astir 8 candidates had second-round meetings earlier 5 -- Bryant, Ott, Miami's Chris Quinn, Oklahoma City's Dave Bliss and existent unit subordinate David Fizdale -- precocious to in-person visits with squad officials past week.

Suns franchise cornerstone Devin Booker has been progressive successful the hunt process implicit the past 7 to 10 days, sources said.

The Cavaliers had an Eastern Conference-best 64 wins this play and basal to suffer 1 of their apical assistants to the Suns. Bryant and Ott joined the Cavaliers past summertime arsenic Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson's archetypal hires, and some assistants are rooted successful principles of toughness, grit and subordinate development. The Cavaliers ranked archetypal successful violative ratio and 8 successful antiaircraft ratio this season, per ESPN Research.

The Suns person been the NBA's lone existent coaching vacancy for respective weeks now, allowing the franchise to beryllium diligent with their search. The Suns, who went 36-46 this season, volition beryllium hiring their 4th antithetic manager successful 4 seasons.

Ott has besides been connected staffs for the Atlanta Hawks (2013-16), Brooklyn Nets (2016-22) and Los Angeles Lakers (2022-24), portion Bryant has besides served arsenic an adjunct for the Utah Jazz (2012-20) and New York Knicks (2020-24).

Bryant played successful assemblage astatine Utah from 2005 to 2008, portion Ott was a video coordinator with Michigan State men's hoops programme nether Tom Izzo from 2008 to 2013.