Bucks, Pistons, Raptors Expected to Pursue Monty Williams, per Report

The former Suns coach was fired by Phoenix on Saturday following the team’s second-round playoff exit.

The Suns parted ways with coach Monty Williams on Saturday night, two days after the team’s second-round playoff exit, but the 2021 NBA Coach of the Year already appears to have employment opportunities for next season.

Three teams already are interested in pursuing Williams, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania: the Bucks, Pistons and Raptors.

Charania reported that Williams still has three years and $21 million left on his Suns contract, so other teams must request permission to contact him. However, Williams is said to be focusing on his family in the immediate aftermath of his ouster.

The Bucks fired coach Mike Budenholzer on May 4 after five seasons together. This move came after Milwaukee’s first-round playoff defeat against No. 8-seed Miami.

The Raptors fired their coach Nick Nurse on April 21 after five seasons following a comment in which he was noncommittal about his future with the team.

As for the Pistons, former coach Dwane Casey decided to step into a front office role after four seasons on the sideline. 

Williams is the winningest NBA coach since 2021. In his five seasons with the team, he posted a 194–115 regular-season record and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2021.