Rumors, doubts, and speculations. Three words, one team, and this is the Phoenix Suns. Do you remember their dominance in the 2021-22 season? 64-18 in the regular season. 8 games ahead of the second-best in the West. Oh, what a beast of a team they were. But soon, the Suns couldn’t keep their reputation. One after the other, changes kept happening. They say change is the only constant, but for the franchise, that turned into an eyesore. Their biggest issue turned out to be their repeated shift in coaches. And right now, it seems Mat Ishbia has already decided Mike Budenholzer’s fate.

“Bye-bye, Bud,” Tim MacMahon had taunted in one of the recent episodes of The Hoop Collective podcast. While that was a sheer moment of fun, things might have turned out a bit more real than it was meant to be. As expected and speculated, the Phoenix Suns have reportedly fired head coach Mike Budenholzer. How do we know this?

Of course, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news to the world via a tweet. He wrote: “The Phoenix Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after finishing in 11th place with a 36-46 record in his one season.” Since 2023, the Suns have fired 3 head coaches, including Bud. First, it was Monty Williams, then Frank Vogel, and now the veteran 55-year-old. The message is clear. Deliver, or the exit, is always near.

While this firing episode has taken over the NBA world, there are too many underlying layers to this matter. Surely, the losses and alleged locker room tension piled up to make a concoction too bitter for Mat Ishbia to swallow. Therefore, the $50 million contract that Coach Budenholzer had in his hand was scrapped off within a blink. But that’s not all. It looks like Bradley Beal and the locker room had already foreseen something that others couldn’t decipher.

Did Bradley Beal and the Suns’ locker room know about Mike Budenholzer’s fate?

There might be a slight possibility that the Suns’ locker room had some idea that a big change was about to happen. Surely, at the end of a 36-46 season, lying on the 11th step of the Western Conference with a 1-9 win record, despite leading the season for the first few games, Mat Ishbia had enough. Rebuild. Rebuild. Rebuilt. Wasn’t this the sole focus of the franchise?

Meanwhile, Bradley Beal appeared before the media after losing to the Sacramento Kings 98-109 on Sunday. He was candid about the situation and stated, “I love PHX, I love being here. I hope I can continue to be here. But I know Mat, he’s gonna probably make some changes, but I enjoyed this group…I think that’s what kinda hurts us the most is that we were a connected team.”

At the same time, Grayson Allen reflected on the Suns’ turbulent season, defending the decision to try 35 different lineups. He believes experimenting was necessary, even if the results didn’t show it. Speaking about Coach Budenholzer, he praised his past success, saying, “One year doesn’t really define him as a coach.” Still, Allen admitted those decisions are out of his hands.

So, here we are. Another coach is out. Another chapter closed. The Phoenix Suns, once fierce and fearless, now wrestle with instability. But beneath the chaos, one truth lingers—change isn’t just coming; it’s already here.