Fans of the Phoenix Suns have been treated to a new sensation in recent weeks, that of an organization that appears to have a game plan and the knowledge of how to execute it. Trading away Kevin Durant was the latest step in the process, but in truth it began with the hiring of Jordan Ott as head coach and Brian Gregory as General Manager.
With Devin Booker tacking two more years onto his current deal - and being paid handsomely for it - plus an incoming slew of rookies and depth in the wake of the Durant trade, whisper it quietly by Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia is showing a level of competence we haven't seen before. One that fans are already excited to see lead to a more loveable product on the floor next season.
Hiring Darvin Ham to their coaching staff the next logical move.
Marc Stein was back on his substack recently with the latest around the league, and in there was the interesting piece of information that the Suns have shown interest in trying to prise Darvin Ham away from the Milwaukee Bucks. It didn't work out for Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers, but that was always going to be a difficult situation for him to thrive.
Ham has done a great job in Milwaukee - where he appears to be beloved by that franchise - of rehabbing his value, so convincing him to head to The Valley could be tough. It is an excellent idea from the Suns though, and having Ham as the lead assistant to a first-time head coach makes a ton of sense.
Given the changes that have happened to the Suns, Ott is surely going to be given time to get this right. Unlike Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer before him, there are no championship aspirations right now. But if things unravel quickly - or Booker decides he wants to flip back to win now mode quicker than expected - Ham would be an excellent choice to have on their sidelines if needed.
Darvin Ham telling Bradley Beal to contest w/o fouling during a timeout would be hilarious 😂 https://t.co/cqiTqV2y3w pic.twitter.com/DFyKw6N4oT
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) July 6, 2025
There's a reason the New York Knicks are also rumored to be interested in pairing him with their own new leading man in Mike Brown, and that is because Ham has the respect of so many of the players in the league. That is to say nothing of his knowledge for the game, which is time with the Lakers has some fans forgetting about all too quickly.
Coming at this from a purely Phoenix problem right now, Ham also had to spend a lot of time in the media spotlight as a result of coaching LeBron James. If Bradley Beal does stick around with the Suns - and we think that perhaps there's a reason he should - Ham wouldn't be fazed by the constant talk around the player. This is another smart idea by the Suns, one they need to try and get done.