Mike Budenholzer gives honest update on his future with the Phoenix Suns

Let the postmortem begin. The Phoenix Suns have officially been knocked out of postseason contention - and with that - comes a ton of questions that at this moment have no answers. You know it's bad if you're somehow trying to get a near 40-year-old to come back and save the organization, but that is where these team is right now.

The demeanour of Devin Booker when speaking to the media after the dispiriting 125-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that ended their season was worrying, as he cut a dejected figure. A 28-year-old superstar who looked like he had nothing more left to give emotionally to this train-wreck. Even bigger questions loom for Kevin Durant and head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Budenholzer gives update on his future in Phoenix.

When seasons go sideways, the head coach is usually the person who is made a scapegoat for what went wrong. Certainly that was the case for previous leading man Frank Vogel, although on reflection leading this group to 49 wins without a point guard and while creating an effective role for then center Jusuf Nurkic might actually deserve the freedom of the city.

Budenholzer was front and center with the media in the aftermath of the Thunder loss, and questions about his future in The Valley naturally came up. He exuded his usual calm and collected self, but when asked by Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic if he had been assured by owner Mat Ishbia if he will be back next season, Budenholzer curtly said "no... there's been no conversations."

That might sound like a stock answer to that question, and in many ways it is. Coach Budenholzer was unlikely to reveal there and then whether or not he would be back next season, but the manner in which he answered the question was interesting. Similarly to Booker, coach Bud sounded like a deflated and beaten man when asked to comment on this.

Perhaps this is because he knows that - even though it would be best for coach and franchise to go their separate ways this summer - that financially that cannot happen. This was the first of a five-year deal for coach Budenholzer, and the Suns would have to pay him off in order for him to be relieved of his duties.

Obviously that number doesn't count against their cap sheet, but there has to be a limit on how much owner Ishbia is willing to spend. The team are in the second apron, and the idea of stretching and waiving Bradley Beal - although absurd - might actually have some legs to it this offseason depending on what happens next with Durant.

Then there is the fact Budenholzer is the third head coach in The Valley in three seasons, and that the organization paid to get rid of Vogel not even a year ago. Prior to that it was Monty Williams - and if there is one way to build success in the league today - it is through continuity at the head coaching position.

At least until you win a championship, which is ironically when it appears now that you're most vulnerable to being fired. This happened to coach Budenholzer in Milwaukee with the Bucks, and most recently to Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets. This is a question that is not going to go away, and there is no easy answer to it either.