The Phoenix Suns finally hired a new head coach Wednesday, opting to go with Cleveland Cavaliers' assistant coach Jordan Ott to be their fourth leading man in the last four seasons. A selection not everybody is happy with, particularly given Ott has ties to owner Mat Ishbia's alma mater in Michigan State.
Perhaps this fact shouldn't be held against him - but when you consider General Manager Brian Gregory was hired for that role despite a lack of experience but some strong ties to that college - fans have every right to be concerned. The franchise is suddenly all-in on Ishbia hires who have a singular tie that binds them all, and it is not one that guarantees they'll be successful.
Devin Booker endorsing coach Ott could yet backfire massively.
One piece of information that became clear as the Suns' whittled down the candidates before settling on Ott was the fact that Devin Booker was involved in the process. This makes sense, with the organization expected to move on from Kevin Durant this offseason, they need to ensure Booker is onside as they try work their way back to contention.
But the fact Booker signed off on this at all could backfire for everybody in the long-run. We should reserve doubt on Ott's coaching ability until he's actually given a chance to do just that - and the feeling around the league is that he's both an excellent offensive and defensive mind - but if this goes badly, it is on Booker as much as anybody else.
The 28-year-old has never been one to yield the franchise cornerstone card to get his way, and it is one of his best qualities off the court for the Suns. There's never been a ton of outward pressure from him to go and get the players he wants to play with - and if that didn't happen - then threaten to leave The Valley.
Bu the Suns did also do right by Booker in getting him Chris Paul - which led to an NBA Finals appearance - while the decision to trade for Durant made sense in the moment. But this was a chance for Booker to gently push back on a direction that Ishbia clearly wants to go, and the fact that he didn't could set him back years in pursuit of a ring.
Complicating matters further was the fact that Tom Thibodeau's shock dismissal by the New York Knicks cast some doubt on the other finalist for the Suns' job. That was Johnnie Bryant - a fellow assistant in Cleveland alongside Ott - and who is also thought of very highly around the league. He has ties to New York, and the sudden opening of that job may appeal to him.
We don't know what Booker thought of Bryant - just that they had likely had a face-to-face conversation during this process - but with the news filtering out of the Knicks, perhaps the Suns pounced on Ott while they still had the chance. In any event Booker is cool with it, and only time will tell if that was the right attitude for him to have here.