Shaquille O’Neal has a keen eye for business missteps, and he just spotted a glaring one in Phoenix. After a disappointing 36-46 season, which left them out of the playoffs, the Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer. This is their third coaching dismissal in as many years, which begs an important question.
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Are the Phoenix Suns scapegoating their coaches against broader organizational issues? The pattern surely suggests that. It also brings the organization’s poor long-term vision up for discussion.
In 2023, they fired Monty Williams, who had joined the team in 2019. In his second season, Williams took the team to the NBA Finals, where they lost 2-4 to the Bucks. Then he took his team to back-to-back Conference Semifinals but was fired in 2023. The following year, the Suns fired Frank Vogel after their first-round exit against the Timberwolves.
Continuing the terrible tradition, they fired Mike Budenholzer after the Suns couldn’t make the postseason. All of these abrupt firings have come under Mat Ishbia’s ownership, which started in February 2023. Shockingly, coaches being shown the door isn’t even the worst part of the whole situation.
Recently, DraftKings Sportsbook posted on Instagram how “The Suns are paying 3 coaches to not be their head coach.” The post outlined that they are paying $20 million to Williams, $25 million to Vogel, and $40 million to Bud, while none of them are their coach anymore. The coaches are getting paid as their contracts haven’t expired yet.
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This post caught Shaquille O’Neal’s attention. The big fella even posted it on his Instagram story.
Shaq's a businessman, he knows a bad deal when he sees one 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/EuUHgG4AXv
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) April 15, 2025
When Williams left in the middle of his contract extension (signed in 2022), the Suns owed him nearly $21 million over the next three years. They owed Vogel nearly $25 million over the next four years from his exit in 2024. For Bud, the Suns will have to pay the remaining $40 million over the next four years.
Since taking over, Ishbia has been in a hurry to make his mark. The Kevin Durant trade has weakened the team’s future as they sent a combined 10 first and second-round picks. After firing three coaches, the roster is also expected to go through a reshuffle.
On his quest to make an impact on the team, Ishbia has forgotten that building a championship-worthy team takes a lot of time and patience. Although he has all the necessary resources, Ishbia seems to be severely lacking patience.
