Report: Mike Budenholzer didn’t have good relationship with Devin Booker

April 14, 2025

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, Mike Budenholzer didn’t have a good relationship with Devin Booker.

The Phoenix Suns fired Budenholzer on Monday.

“Budenholzer had issues connecting with the locker room this season, with team officials concluding that the roster failed to respond to the 2021 NBA championship coach, sources said,” Charania wrote. “Budenholzer’s inability to coexist with his players centered around the franchise’s cornerstone, Devin Booker, and went down the roster, those sources said.”

The Suns went 36-46 this season. They didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament despite having Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

Budenholzer replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired after one season too.

The Suns are expected to move on from Durant and Beal this offseason.

Meanwhile, Booker remains the franchise player in Phoenix.

“This marks the first action in a summer of change coming to the Suns,” Charania wrote. “Phoenix is expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant and will have discussions on the future of Beal, according to sources. Multiple teams will seriously pursue Durant, who finished another stellar season, and the franchise is expected to work with Durant and his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer. Beal has two years and $111 million remaining on his contract.”

Booker has spent his entire career with the Suns. He’s scored the most points in franchise history.

Durant will make $54.7 million next season in the final year of his contract. He turns 37 in September.

Durant was open to getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat or San Antonio Spurs at this year’s trade deadline.

An NBA source told Hoops Wire that the Timberwolves, Rockets, Heat, Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers will pursue Durant this offseason.

Durant has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He’s a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a one-time MVP and a four-time scoring champion.