Cavs Assistant Johnnie Bryant, Mike Brown Among Those Linked To Suns Vacancy

Success sometimes comes with a price. For the Cavaliers, that very well could mean losing associated head coach Johnnie Bryant, a favorite of Kenny Atkinson and star guard Donovan Mitchell.

Bryant is viewed as one of the hottest coaching candidates heading into the NBA playoffs, which serve as the start of the offseason for some teams. Already, the Suns, Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Kings are seeking new full-time coaches.

The Kings, Grizzlies, and Nuggets at least have interim men in place (Doug Christie in Sacramento, Tuomas Iisalo in Memphis, and David Adelman in Denver). All three are expected to earn a shot at the job on a permanent basis — or as “permanent” as it goes in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Suns fired Mike Budenholzer the day after the regular season, opening the door for rumors of his replacement. Bryant’s name is already on the list of possible candidates, a list that was delivered by NBA insider Chris Haynes, a former Cavaliers beat reporter.

Bryant, 39, was actually a head-coaching candidate for the Cavs before the season, before being beat out for the role and taking on the top assistant role. He was the associate head coach with Tom Thibodeau and New York from 2020-24, and spent six years with Quin Snyder and Utah (and Mitchell) for six years before that.

One league source said the Suns will undoubtedly reach out to the Cavs about Bryant, though he likely wouldn’t be available to interview until after the playoffs end.

Along with Bryant, Haynes mentioned long-ago Cavs coach Mike Brown as another candidate in Phoenix. Brown was fired by the Sacramento Kings in late December.

Other possible candidates, per Haynes: Current New Orleans coach Willie Green, Miami assistant Chris Quinn, Dallas assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley, Houston assistant Royal Ivey, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and former Suns assistant Kevin Young, who spent this season as the head coach at BYU.