Suns' head-coaching job is a poisoned chalice

Whoever the Suns end up hiring will become their fourth head coach since Ishbia took over control of the franchise in February 2023. Ishbia has been highly aggressive in making blockbuster deals for All-Stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, and spending big on coaches. Ishbia still owes Budenholzer the balance of contract worth over $50M, while Vogel still has three years remaining on his five-year, $31.25M contract.

Ishbia is fortunate the Detroit Pistons gave former coach Monty Williams a massive contract before the 2023-24 season, which means his $65M buyout from Detroit dwarfs the $20M he was owed by Phoenix.

In Shakespeare's "Macbeth," the title character compares the plot to murder the king and usurp his power as a "poisoned chalice" — a tempting opportunity that will eventually lead to doom. Macbeth can't resist even though he sees the dangers, which the Suns' old coaches may relate to. Being highly paid to lead a collection of All-Stars was tempting, even though coaching Kevin Durant (four head coaches fired in three seasons) has been worse for your job security than dueling Macduff at a Scottish castle.

So whoever takes the Suns job next needs to be aware of what they're doing. The job looks shiny and appealing, but if you grab that poisoned chalice, you probably won't hold onto it for long.