Phoenix Suns’ Michigan State connections are too big to ignore after head coaching hire

The Phoenix Suns might have been the most disappointing team in the NBA this season. The franchise went all-in for a championship hours after Mat Ishbia gained control of the franchise as its new governor by swinging a huge trade for Kevin Durant that involved Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap. To say that trade backfired would be an understatement: the Suns have won one playoff series in three postseason runs with Durant, and failed to win even a single playoff game the last two seasons despite having the highest payroll in NBA history this year.

The Suns are in desperation mode entering this offseason, needing to hire a new head coach for the fourth straight offseason after Mike Budenholzer and Frank Vogel each only lasted one year following Monty Williams. On Wednesday, Phoenix announced Ott will be the franchise’s new head coach. A cursory look into his bio reveals that he shares something very common throughout the organization.

Ott went to Michigan State for grad school, and spent time as a video coordinator under Tom Izzo from 2008-2013. Ott’s hiring follows Phoenix’s decision to promote Brian Gregory to GM earlier this offseason. Gregory also spent time under Izzo as an assistant coach from 1999-2003.

Ishbia, of course, also went to Michigan State, and was a walk-on for Izzo back in his college days.

Ishbia is the man calling the shots for the Suns, and love for Michigan State pumps through his veins. There were rumors that the Suns were trying to get Draymond Green back in a potential Kevin Durant deal with the Warriors at the trade deadline. Now there are rumors that the Suns are after a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft when they eventually deal Durant this summer … which could put them in position to select Michigan State’s Jase Richardson.

Ties to Michigan run through the Suns’ organization, including Devin Booker, who was born in Michigan. The Suns’ CIO Paul Rivers also went to Michigan State. The connections are all over the organization.

It’s possible that Ott could prove to be a great coach. After hiring coaches who have won a championship in the previous two summers in Vogel and Budenholzer, Ott is a true fresh face who can provide a new perspective. He had a positive reputation for his work with player development in Cleveland. No one is saying he’s an unqualified candidate, but there’s some natural skepticism that the person making the decisions (Ishbia) keeps letting bias for his alma mater and home state shine through in the hiring process.

Suns fans are all over the MSU-Suns connections:

The Suns are in a horrible spot regardless of where their new head coach went to college.

Bradley Beal still has a no-trade clause and two years left on his enormous contract he isn’t living up to. Durant is going to be traded for a fraction of what the Suns traded to get him. The Suns also don’t control their first-round pick until 2032 after making another horribly short-sighted trade this season to send their 2031 first to Utah for three late first rounders. Maybe the Suns could talk themselves into a brighter future around Booker if they were in the East, but the Western Conference is far less forgiving.

At this point, it’s almost a surprise that Ishbia didn’t try to hire Izzo himself. Of course, that would hurt his beloved Spartans too much. The Suns can’t dodge the allegations that they have a strong preference for Michigan/MSU ties, and they have an extremely uphill battle to get back to their winning ways both in the present and the future.