Suns narrowed the selection range of new coaches: 8 players enter the second round, Fitzdale Borrego leads

On May 19, according to famous reporter Chris Haynes, the new general manager of the Suns, Gregory, has selected 8 candidates to enter the second round of screening. Previous reports said the Suns initially communicated with more than 15 candidates.

Haynes pointed out that the eight-man roster includes: Mavericks assistant Sweeney, Suns assistant Fitzdale, Pelicans assistant coach Borrego, Cavaliers assistant coach Johnny Bryant and Jordan Ott, Nets assistant coach Hertzel, Timberwolves assistant coach Norry and Thunder assistant coach Dave Bliss.

Of the eight final candidates, only Fitzdale and Borrego have had head coaching experience. Hayens mentioned that Fitzdale had previously rejected the head coach invitation of former Suns boss Saffer and instead accepted a ill-fated position of the Knicks, with a term of only more than one year. Overall, Fitzdale's regular season record was 71 wins and 134 losses during his coaching period with the Grizzlies and the Knicks. He led the team to the playoffs once in the first season as the Grizzlies coach. Borrego served as the Magic's interim coach at the end of the 2014/15 season and served as the Hornets' head coach from 2018-22. He had a total record of 148 wins and 183 losses in the regular season, and has not led the team to the playoffs yet.

Earlier reports were reported that the Suns might be inclined to look for a younger head coach after Vogel and Budenholzer briefly coached. Haynes noted that the list of candidates fits that goal—Nori, 51, and Fitzdale, 50, are the oldest of eight, while the majority of the rest are in their 30s and early 40s.

Haynes said that the Suns management hopes that the next coach can "build the system from scratch", and the team focuses on discipline, responsibility, and the concept of major shareholder Ishbiya and management. The Suns also prioritize coaching candidates with defensive backgrounds. Even if the Suns may trade Durant, Bill or Booker in the short term, it is still an important consideration to be able to cooperate effectively with the stars. Haynes said the coaching candidate may affect the future direction of the team and the stars, because Budenholzer's successor may have had old friends with some stars or can quickly establish a tacit understanding.

According to another famous reporter, Marc Stein, the Suns are expected to eventually screen out three final candidates from eight candidates.