The Phoenix Suns have appointed former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their new head coach on a four-season deal, marking a significant move for the franchise. This decision concludes an intensive, four-round interview process and makes Ott the fourth head coach for the Suns since Mat Ishbia took ownership in December 2022, replacing the recently fired Mike Budenholzer.

Ott brings a wealth of experience as an NBA assistant coach since 2012, known for his strong offensive and defensive creativity, player development acumen, toughness, and communication skills. His career includes stints with the Brooklyn Nets (2016-2022), where he worked under head coaches Kenny Atkinson, Jacque Vaughn, and Steve Nash, helping the team reach the playoffs three times. He also served as an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers, contributing to their Western Conference Finals appearance in 2023, and most recently reunited with Kenny Atkinson on the Cleveland Cavaliers' staff for the 2024-2025 season. Former Net Joe Harris lauded Ott for his attentiveness, ability to pinpoint areas for offseason focus, and simplifying the game. Notably, Ott began his NBA journey as a video coordinator with the Atlanta Hawks under Mike Budenholzer, the very coach he now succeeds in Phoenix.

A prominent narrative surrounding Ott's hiring is the strong Michigan State (MSU) connection within the Suns' leadership. Ott is an MSU alum, having earned a master's degree and served as a video coordinator for the Spartans' basketball team under coach Tom Izzo. This aligns him with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, a former MSU basketball player (walk-on for a national championship team), and new General Manager Brian Gregory, who was an assistant coach at MSU during Ishbia's playing days. Despite their shared MSU background, Ishbia and Ott had reportedly never met prior to Ott's interview for the job. Nevertheless, Ott impressed the owner, Gregory, and CEO Josh Bartelstein with his meticulous attention to detail, willingness to outwork everybody, and his basketball mind. This MSU trifecta has led to some public skepticism and discussions about potential 'collegiate nepotism' or a 'good ol’ boys’ network,' although Ishbia’s supporters might see it as building a culture rooted in loyalty and shared vision.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia has signaled a significant shift in his ownership philosophy and intends to be more hands-on. In an internal letter to the Suns' basketball operations team, Ishbia took accountability for the team's recent shortcomings and for not doing enough to establish a culture and identity in Phoenix, admitting his previous strategy of 'running the typical NBA owner playbook' by 'hiring experts, signing checks and getting out of the way' left no one happy with the outcome (one playoff series win in three years). He declared his intention to be 'extremely active in the decisions and management' of the organization, on and off the floor, stating 'the Phoenix Suns will do things very differently than most other NBA franchises.' This marks a pivot from Ishbia's initial approach of making aggressive, headline-grabbing moves and spending heavily to chase a title, towards a more strategic, long-term focus on building infrastructure and a sustainable culture rooted in loyalty and alignment, similar to his success at United Wholesale Mortgage. He praised GM Brian Gregory for his role in the interview process and hailed Ott's hiring as a milestone, viewing him as a young, hungry coach capable of player development and fostering team chemistry.

Jordan Ott emerged as the choice after an intensive four-round interview process, reportedly surpassing other finalists including fellow Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, and candidates like Miami assistant Chris Quinn, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, and then-Phoenix assistant David Fizdale. The Suns' leadership, particularly Ishbia and Gregory, were reportedly impressed with Ott’s elaborate offensive plans, his vision for the team, his 'cutting-edge' basketball mind, his commitment to studying league-wide trends, and his dedicated work ethic. Ott’s approach seems to align with Ishbia and Gregory’s stated desire for a 'grinder' coach with deep basketball knowledge, an investment in playing a tough, physical brand of basketball, and strong communication abilities. The hiring also received crucial endorsements from current Suns star guard Devin Booker, who was consulted during the process and reportedly named Ott as his top choice, and franchise legend Steve Nash also approved of the hire.

Ott takes the helm of a Suns team that has underperformed relative to its high-cost, star-studded roster featuring Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. The team finished the 2023-2024 season with a disappointing 36-46 record, their worst in five years, finishing 11th in the Western Conference and failing to even reach the play-in tournament. The Suns have struggled to make a deep playoff run with their current core. Consequently, significant roster changes are anticipated, with widespread speculation that the Suns will attempt to trade both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this offseason. However, any trade involving Beal would require his consent due to his no-trade clause. Mutual interest has reportedly remained between the San Antonio Spurs and Durant regarding a potential trade. The challenge for Ott will be to either galvanize the existing talent or navigate a substantial roster overhaul while instilling his system and building a winning culture under the close supervision of an increasingly hands-on owner.

An intriguing subplot to Ott's hiring is the well-documented business rivalry between Suns owner Mat Ishbia, founder of United Wholesale Mortgage, and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, founder of Rocket Mortgage. Some observers interpret the hiring of a key assistant directly from Gilbert's Cavaliers as another strategic maneuver by Ishbia in their ongoing competition. This rivalry has seen Ishbia previously remove Rocket Mortgage as an arena sponsor in Phoenix. Furthermore, Gilbert was the sole NBA owner to abstain from the 29-0 vote that approved Ishbia's purchase of the Suns, and Ishbia has publicly criticized Gilbert's companies. This context suggests that Ishbia's motivations for pursuing Ott, and fellow finalist Johnnie Bryant (also from the Cavs staff), might have included an element of 'sticking it to Gilbert,' both on and off the basketball court.

Despite his extensive and well-regarded NBA assistant coaching resume, Jordan Ott steps into his first role as an NBA head coach. The Phoenix Suns' leadership, however, is clearly betting on his youth, innovative basketball mind, strong work ethic, player connectivity, and alignment with their new organizational philosophy to usher in a successful era. The ultimate success of this appointment will likely hinge not only on Ott's coaching capabilities but also on his ability to navigate the complex dynamics of working with a highly involved owner, managing high expectations, and potentially overseeing a significant team transformation in Phoenix. The organization hopes Ott is the 'right guy to lead them forward,' even as Ishbia's unconventional and hands-on approach invites both scrutiny and cautious optimism from the fanbase.