The Phoenix Suns made a slew of big moves this offseason, but one of the most important ones which has flown under the radar was hiring a first time head coach in Jordan Ott. The 40-year-old's arrival from the Cleveland Cavaliers being met with a lot of positivity by the media and fans alike.
It was the right time for the franchise to try something new, especially with veterans such as Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer having fared so badly in their single campaigns in The Valley. The team is now rebuilding around Booker as well, giving Ott a younger roster and in theory more time to try and make everything fit together to build a competitive group.
Introduction of Steve Nash is cause for concern for Ott.
The Suns recently announced that franchise great Steve Nash would be joining the organization as a senior advisor, a move that was rightly applauded. It wasn't been the best offseason for the franchise from a PR perspective, while ending their relationship with Durant and Bradley Beal was a sign that a lot of losing is on the horizon in Phoenix.
Having Nash around will keep fans happy, while there's plenty he can actually bring to the role as well. In fact he could be so good at it - that should Ott get off to a slow start in the job - he will have to look over his shoulder. Owner Mat Ishbia has refused to call what is happening right now a rebuild, which gives you some idea of how impatient he can be.
He swung for Durant as soon as he could after buying the team, and doubled down on that win now mentality in trading for Beal. Those deals blew up in his face - and he does seem to have learned a painful lesson from that experience - but Ishbia will only stand for so much losing. Which puts Ott on the clock a lot sooner than a head coach in his position should expect to be.
Nash's time with the Brooklyn Nets as their leading man was cut short because Durant and Kyrie Irving didn't want him around anymore, but that doesn't make him a bad coach. He also has an existing relationship with Booker which Ott does not, although it should also be noted that Booker reportedly endorsed the hiring of Ott.
That was before Nash was in the mix though, and his shadow will now loom over everything this coming season. Which is a good thing in a lot of ways, just not for Ott. Ishbia also clearly likes established names on his teams, and Nash would bring that to the sidelines while also being a long-term solution given he's still relatively young for a coach at 51. This is one to watch.