👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Tuesday! I sure hope your week is off to a good start.

I’ll get to the Suns in a minute, but first, I saw an interesting theory pop up yesterday — if D-backs starter Corbin Burnes ends up missing an extended amount of time due to injury, does Arizona suddenly become a seller at the trade deadline? There’s a scenario nobody could have dreamed up before the start of the season.

Luckily general manager Mike Hazen still has some time to decide, but if Burnes, the former NL Cy Young winner, is unable to expeditiously rejoin the Diamondbacks, it will likely spell doom for a rotation that has been better than last year, but still not up to snuff.

On to the show!

Reports Indicate Suns’ Coaching Search Down to 2 Cavs Assistants

It appears the road to the Suns’ 2025-26 season goes through … Cleveland?

Yep. I double checked. It’s true.

NBA insider Shams Charania reported yesterday that Suns general manager Brian Gregory has whittled his list of head coaching candidates down to two names, Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, who are both trusted assistant coaches in Cleveland.

Both coaches wrapped up their first year with the Cavs, who finished 64-18 on the year before being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last month.

Charania said both candidates will meet with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and Gregory later this week, with a decision to come after that.

Suns’ Search Narrows Significantly

The team’s coaching search has felt like a long-running reality series, especially considering the new hire will be the Suns’ fourth coach in as many seasons. The initial round of interviews was consistently referred to as Gregory casting “a wide net” while searching, and the first-time GM has certainly done that.

Miami’s Chris Quinn and Dallas’ Sean Sweeney, who were reportedly finalists as of a week ago, are no longer in the running.

Neither Bryant nor Ott have any NBA head coaching experience, though the former has held the title of associate head coach with both the Knicks and Cavs.

A few callouts:

• Bryant: The 39-year-old played collegiately at San Francisco City College (2003-04) and Utah (2004-07), where he holds the school’s all-time 3-point percentage record (.440). The Oakland, Calif. native then worked privately as a skills coach before joining Utah’s staff in 2012. He was eventually promoted to assistant coach in 2014, and has spent the last 11 years in the NBA.
• Ott: Ott has been an NBA coach since 2013, when he started his career as a video coordinator with the Atlanta Hawks. His tenure there actually overlapped with recently fired Suns coach Mike Budenholzer, who was the head coach there from 2013-18. He got his first crack as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2022, and also acted in the same role with the Lakers (2022-24) and Cavs (2024-25).

One more thing to note, and take it as you wish: Ott cut his teeth as video coordinator at Michigan State University from 2008-2013, and both Ishbia and Gregory are former Spartans. But it shouldn’t come down to THAT. Right? RIGHT?!

My Take: Same thing I’ve been saying all along — wait and see! It’s kind of nice that we finally have word that Gregory and Co. are honing in on the next coach, but it’s starting to look like this may be the easiest task of the GM’s early duties. The rumor mill is (yet again) swirling around Kevin Durant’s status for next season, so let’s get this hire over with already!

What in Tar-nation: The Arizona baseball team will face No.5 North Carolina at the upcoming NCAA Super Regionals following the Tar Heels’ 14-4 win over Oklahoma last night. The Wildcats are at a clear disadvantage considering UNC is the site host, but UA has answered the bell all season, and Chip Hale’s team is surely capable of doing it again.

NCAA Super Regionals run June 6-9, though specific dates, times and television information is not yet available. Stay tuned to the PHNX Sports Daily and you know I’ll keep you in the loop!

That’s How You Start: The Mercury are off to a great start at 5-2 despite a roster that is strikingly different than previous years. Our very own David Bernauer wrote about how both veteran players and rookies have stepped up to make it happen.

Drafting a Plan: Our ALLCITY draft analyst team of Derek Bodner and Will Gottlieb put together their first mock draft since the completion of the NBA combine, and — spoiler alert — it’s a different name than the last version!

It’s a Little Drafty: Make sure to check out the NBA Diehard Draft Guide — Led by ALLCITY draft analysts Derek Bodner of PHLY and Will Gottlieb of CHGO, this guide is your one-stop-shop as teams across the league gear up to reshape their rosters

Note the Diehard draft guide is best viewed on desktop or tablet!

Tip Of The Hat By Branded Bills

I laughed, I cried. I hate to see you leave this email, but you really should go watch this right now 🤣