Report: Suns coach Mike Budenholzer has had friction with Devin Booker

According to NBA insider Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer has had friction with star shooting guard Devin Booker.

Budenholzer is in his first season with the Suns, who are in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. 

“But the Suns have taken a step back this season, sitting six games behind .500 and in 11th place in the West standings with 16 games remaining in the regular season, beginning with Friday’s road date in Sacramento,” MacMahon wrote. “February was especially miserable in Phoenix, as the Suns went 3-10 in a month in which Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant dealt with the distraction of being involved in trade discussions leading up to the Feb. 6 deadline. Budenholzer has had friction with multiple players, including Booker, sources said.”

The Suns fired Frank Vogel after one season and hired Budenholzer, who ironically won the 2021 championship with the Milwaukee Bucks against Phoenix. 

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Budenholzer recently implored Booker to be less vocal. Booker, one of the top scorers in the league, was “shocked” by Budenholzer’s request. 

Before the Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans on 2/28, Budenholzer talked about Haynes’ report. 

“I think it’s super healthy. Everybody’s got different ways of communicating, different ways that you do it,” Budenholzer said. “We’re always pushing everything we do to be better. That’s nothing new. But (Booker’s) very vocal and that’s a good thing. I don’t want there to be any confusion about that.

“If you’ve been around sports your whole life, it’s hard to stay vocal, it’s hard to stay connected, it’s hard to do all those things. That’s why winning is hard. We talk to the team, we talk amongst ourself. There’s so many things you got to do to win. And that’s including fighting through adversity and continuing to communicate.”

If the Suns miss the playoffs this season, don’t be surprised if Budenholzer is fired after one season like Vogel was.