Report: Suns hoped to hire former Lakers coach Mike Brown
Apr 22, 2013, 10:01 PM | Updated: 10:12 pm
Things may have changed now that Lance Blanks is no longer the team’s general manager, but it appears the Phoenix Suns were hopeful they’d get a head coach who was not Lindsey Hunter.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the team had its sights set on former Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown.
Another indication Lindsey Hunter on shaky ground: I’m told Suns tried to hire Mike Brown after Alvin Gentry was fired and AGAIN this month
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 22, 2013
Word is Suns reached out to Brown to see if he’d come to PHX now but sources say Brown passed to focus on Cavs (and other potential gigs)
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 22, 2013
Hunter was named the team’s interim head coach on January 20, and guided the team to a 12-29 record in place of Alvin Gentry.
However, it appears the Suns’ overtures were rebuffed, in part because the coach is hopeful to join the Cavaliers, who fired him after the 2009-10 season. The Cavs finished with a worse record than the Suns this past season, though, so that may say something about how Phoenix is perceived around the NBA.
Then again, the Cavs do have superstar Kyrie Irving as well as other young players like Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson.
Brown has been a head coach for parts of seven seasons, compiling a 314-167 record.
