A Phoenix Suns coaching search is underway for the third consecutive offseason, all the while, All-Star forward Kevin Durant is floated in NBA rumors about a potential summer blockbuster. While Durant’s future in Phoenix is still unclear, one of the emerging Suns coaching candidates could change that.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Cleveland Cavaliers assistant head coach Johnnie Bryant and Houston Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey are two names to monitor in the Suns coaching search.
Bryant, who turns 40 in August, joined the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching staff last summer after a lengthy stint in the same role with the New York Knicks. One of the reasons he landed in Cleveland was because of his close relationship with All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, whom he helped coach with the Utah Jazz.
Ivey, age 43, played with the Texas Longhorns (2000-04) when Durant was with the program and the two maintain a strong relationship to this day. He later became an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016) during Durant’s final season with the team and later served as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets (2020-’23) during Durant’s stint with the franchise.
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The Rockets’ assistant coach also made a name for himself in recent years as the head coach of South Sudan’s basketball team, which competed in the Paris Olympics and won their first game in Olympic history as a men’s basketball team.
The Rockets’ assistant coach also made a name for himself in recent years as the head coach of South Sudan’s basketball team, which competed in the Paris Olympics and won their first game in Olympic history as a men’s basketball team.
Hiring Ivey could be a step toward improving the relationship with Durant after the franchise tried to move him at the NBA trade deadline in February. If Ivey becomes the next Suns coach, it stands to reason Durant will stay in Phoenix next season.
