The Phoenix Suns are finalising an agreement with former NBA champion coach Frank Vogel to become their next head coach, according to multiple reports.

Vogel, who guided the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA title during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, takes over a talent-laden Suns team that has compiled a 160-76 record over the last three regular seasons - the highest winning percentage in the league over that period - but still seeks the first championship of the franchise's 55-year existence.

The 49-year-old replaces Monty Williams, who was fired shortly after the Suns were ousted by the Denver Nuggets in six games in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Williams was hired as the Detroit Pistons' head coach earlier this week. The 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year went 194-115 over four seasons in Phoenix and led the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals.

Vogel owns a 431-389 overall record over 11 seasons with three different teams along with a career 49-39 playoff record. His greatest success came during his first season in Los Angeles, where a Lakers team led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis went 52-19 before winning four playoff series in the Orlando bubble to earn the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The Lakers failed to follow up on that success, however, losing to the Suns in the first round the following season. Vogel was then fired after the 2021-22 campaign in which Los Angeles went a disappointing 33-49 and missed the playoffs. 

Regarded as a defensive specialist, Vogel previously directed the Indiana Pacers to five playoff appearances - including two trips to the Eastern Conference finals - over a six-year stretch from 2010-16. He also served as the Orlando Magic's head coach from 2016-18.

Vogel will again be taking over a team with two bona fide stars in Phoenix with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker locked into long-term deals, though the Suns do have offseason decisions to make on two other key players. Veteran point guard Chris Paul turned 38 in May and has a partially guaranteed contract for next season, while center Deandre Ayton struggled in the playoff series against the Nuggets and sat out Denver's clinching victory with a rib injury. 

Monty Williams will be named the next coach of the Detroit Pistons and is expected to sign a six-year, $78.5 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Pistons will give Williams the largest coaching deal in NBA history to replace Dwane Casey, who stepped down as Detroit’s coach in April to move into a front-office role.

The Athletic reported that there are team options for the seventh and eighth year, and incentives that could increase the deal to $100 million.

Williams was fired by the Phoenix Suns on May 13 after four seasons with the team, including a trip to the 2021 NBA Finals. He won 63 percent of his games with the Suns and was named the NBA Coach of the Year in May 2022 after leading Phoenix to a franchise-record 64 wins.

The Suns, however, had huge losses in elimination games in the playoffs in consecutive seasons and that ultimately led to Williams’ firing.

Casey went 121-263 in five seasons with Detroit and the team made the playoffs only once under his guidance.

The Pistons finished an NBA-worst 17-65 in 2022-23 for their seventh straight losing season. They haven’t won a playoff round since 2007-08.

Monty Williams has enjoyed a good run of success as coach of the Phoenix Suns but his inability to lead the team to a championship has cost him his job.

The Suns fired Williams on Saturday, two days after they were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

"I take that personally, not having our team ready to play in the biggest game of the year," Williams said following the loss.

"That’s something that I pride myself on and it just didn’t happen. That’s something I have to take a deep look at, everything I’m doing."

Williams just completed his fourth season as Phoenix’s coach, finishing his tenure with a 194-115 record, including a trip to the 2021 NBA Finals, which the Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.

He was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2022 after guiding the Suns to a league-best 64-18 record.

A second straight blowout loss at home in an elimination game was likely the biggest factor in Phoenix’s decision.

Last season, the Suns lost 123-90 to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the conference finals and were routed by the Nuggets 125-100 in Game 6 again on Thursday. Phoenix trailed by 30 at the half in both games.

The Suns join the Toronto Raptors and Bucks as teams currently without head coaches. Toronto fired Nick Nurse after he won the 2019 NBA title and Milwaukee fired Mike Budenholzer, the coach who beat the Suns in the 2021 finals.

Devin Booker was lauded for his incredible 47-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers but acknowledged the Phoenix Suns would take "a good lesson" from their series-clinching win.

The Suns wrapped up a 4-1 series victory with a 136-130 success on Tuesday in which Booker tied his playoff career high. He scored 25 points in the third quarter alone, another high mark in any single quarter.

That display epitomised a sensational series for Booker, who averaged 37.2 points, shooting 60.2 per cent from the field and 85.7 per cent from the foul line.

Only Michael Jordan, in the first round in 1992, had previously averaged 35 or more points on 60 per cent shooting from the field and 80 per cent shooting from the line.

Reflecting on the third quarter, team-mate Kevin Durant said: "It was spiritual.

"I don't scream too much in games as I get older, but when he hit that three at the top of the key, I felt that energy, and I know everyone in the crowd felt it. We feed off his aggression."

Coach Monty Williams added: "When he's going like that, we're not calling any plays."

The fourth quarter was a different story, however.

Booker had only six points as the Clippers, still without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, outscored the Suns by 11 to threaten a fightback.

"I think it's a good lesson for us moving forward," Booker said. "Don't play with your food. Finish out as strong as you can. Keep playing all the way until the whistle blows."

Kevin Durant said Devin Booker "can do everything at an elite level" after scoring 38 points on 64 per cent shooting in the Phoenix Suns' first round playoffs Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Booker was in scintillating form, making 14-of-22 from the field including four-of-seven from the beyond the arc, with nine assists as the Suns triumphed 123-109 to level the series after two games at Footprint Center in Arizona.

Durant contributed 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting with five assists, but was quick to praise his team-mate.

"He's an all-around player," Durant told reporters about Booker. "He can do everything at an elite level on a basketball court."

Booker's display came after a minor dip in offensive output late in the regular season where he averaged 24 points in their final six games, failing to have any 30-point games during that stretch.

Suns head coach Monty Williams insisted he was never worried about Booker's form and added to the praise.

"Book scores in a number of ways and when he's going like that, I think the team feeds off his high level play," Williams told reporters.

Booker scored or assisted 28 of the Suns' 33 third-quarter points as they pulled clear after scores were locked 59-59 at half-time.

"I was planning on taking him out the first two minutes of the fourth, then he got going, and then I said 'one more play', then 'one more play' and he kept hitting shots, so I just let him go," Williams said.

"When he's attacking like that, knocking down big shots from outside it just keeps everybody off balance."

Game 2 was Phoenix's ninth win from 10 games with Durant in the side, having been traded in from the Brooklyn Nets in February.

Williams added: "I thought the spacing was a lot better. Just having the balance of [Booker] and Kevin being able to get to their spots with a live ball helps. I thought Chris [Paul] did a really good job of putting the ball in Book's hands and saying 'you go'."

Kevin Durant felt the nerves ahead of his home debut for the Phoenix Suns but was thrilled to be back from injury.

Durant has endured injury frustration in his first months as a Suns player since his trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

The 2014 MVP joined the Suns on February 9, but he had played only three times prior to Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

All of those games, which were won by Phoenix, came on the road.

Having missed the last 10 games due to a sprained ankle, Durant returned for his home bow against the Timberwolves, and he had 16 points, four assists and eight rebounds in a 107-100 victory.

Durant acknowledged that even with his wealth of experience to call on, it was hard to keep the nerves in check.

"It was hard for me to get sleep today, it was hard for me to stop thinking about the game," Durant said. "Sometimes you can want it too bad, and you come out, start rushing and being uncharacteristic."

Now, he aims to build up his fitness as the Suns look towards securing a postseason berth.

"I'm glad I'm back, I'm glad I'm playing again and being one of the guys. Just building from here," Durant said.

"It felt good. I miss playing, I miss being with the guys. It was a big win for us, we needed this one, but yeah I felt good being out there again."

Phoenix coach Monty Williams was impressed with what he saw from the 13-time All-Star but knows there is more to come.

"I thought he battled on both ends," Williams told reporters.

"I think his cardio has got to get back to the level he wants it. Once he gets that, we'll see the Kevin that we all know."

The Suns' third straight win saw them consolidate their grip on the Western Conference's fourth seed.

Devin Booker was the driving force for Phoenix with 29 points, with Anthony Edwards' 31-point haul not enough to inspire the Timberwolves to a winning performance.

Kevin Durant will undergo an MRI after injuring his ankle prior to his anticipated home debut for the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

Durant was ruled out of the game after slipping awkwardly and spraining his left ankle during warmups.

The Suns won 132-101 over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Durant's absence, with Devin Booker scoring 44 points.

Suns head coach Monty Williams was hopeful that Durant had avoided a serious sprain but the All-Star is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday.

"We'll get more testing done tomorrow,” Williams told reporters. "Right now, it's just an ankle sprain and we don't have anything official to report."

Durant was traded to the Suns last month from the Brooklyn Nets and was due to play for the first time as a Phoenix player at the Footprint Center, having played three road games since overcoming a knee injury.

"I feel bad for him because he feels bad," Williams added. "I saw his face and - I've been around him so many times - I know what he's feeling and I don't want him feeling that way at all."

Booker, who continued his hot streak with his fourth straight 35-point game, said the Suns would re-schedule Durant's welcome.

"We'll re-schedule the party," Booker said. "I'm sure they'll be back, people that missed out on tonight. I tried to give them a little something to make it better."

Kevin Durant felt he "fit in pretty well" during an impressive Phoenix Suns debut against the Charlotte Hornets but still feels under pressure to prove himself.

Durant scored 23 points in his first appearance for the Suns in a 105-91 win over the Hornets on Wednesday following his blockbuster trade from the Brooklyn Nets last month.

Returning to the court after recovering from a knee injury that had kept him out since January 8, the 13-time NBA All-Star was 10-of-15 shooting and racked up his points haul in just 27 minutes.

Devin Booker scored 37 points, claimed six rebounds and provided seven assists as Phoenix – fourth in the Western Conference – snapped the Hornets' five-game winning streak to go 34-29 for the season.

Durant said: "I feel like I fit in pretty well, everybody out there was trying to make me as comfortable as possible.

"I just got to keep grinding, man, and this jersey on me will look normal as games go on."

Despite all he has achieved over the years, Durant was nervous prior to his Suns bow.

He added: "New environment, new situation, new team-mates, I mean I always feel I got to prove myself to my team-mates and my coaches every single day no matter what I've done in the league. So I feel like there's pressure to be who I am every day."

Booker was pinching himself over being on the same side as Durant.

He said: "This is one of those moments that doesn't really feel real. I mean, it's just every time he shoots the ball, it's just so effortless.

"You can see defenders trying their hardest to contest or fight over a screen and he just looks unbothered, unfazed."

Suns head coach Monty Williams wants Durant to focus on playing to the best of his ability rather than feel he must be a leader.

"I think there's too many players in the NBA that get too much pressure to lead," Williams said. "I just don’t think it's necessary. It’s my job to lead.

"The players do it in spots, but that's the one thing I told him, I said, 'I'm not looking for you to lead. We just want you to be yourself and hoop,' and I think that's where he's the most free to be himself."

Devin Booker credited his determination to get out of a recent "slump" for his electric performance in the Phoenix Suns' win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

The Suns trailed by 24 points at one stage at Footprint Center, before surging back to win 118-114, with Booker's incessant shooting a key feature.

The 26-year-old scored 58 points, making 21 of 35 field goal attempts, six of 12 from beyond the arc and 10 of 15 from the foul line.

Booker had not topped 20 points in his previous five games but was determined to be the difference against New Orleans.

"I was just making shots, man," he said after the win. "I've been in a bit of a slump and just gotta keep shooting. That's what I live by. I was put in the right situations to make the right plays.

"I usually just want to make the right play every time, but once I get it going a little bit, you know shooting over a hand, it is the right play."

At one point, Booker scored 25 consecutive points for Phoenix to bring the deficit down to just one midway through the fourth quarter.

Monty Williams was understandably impressed with Booker, claiming he as his coach was "the only person that could've stopped him tonight... by taking him out the game".

Chris Paul, who himself scored 18 along with eight assists and five rebounds, praised Booker for rising to the challenge as the Pelicans sought to slow him.

"I don't take it for granted," Paul said. "I know how hard it is. Having games similar to that, not 58, but when you've just got it going like that and you just want the ball and you know every time you're going to make it a play.

"So, I appreciate it, because I know how hard it is to consistently do that when everybody on the court knows you're going to get the ball."

Future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul believes the Phoenix Suns will remain a contender this season if they remain positive, despite dropping their fifth straight game in Tuesday's 111-97 loss to the Houston Rockets.

The Suns dropped to a 16-12 record, having now lost six of their past seven games, with their injury troubles getting worse as Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Cameron Payne (foot) both exited and did not return after half-time.

Phoenix were without All-Star guard Devin Booker for a third straight game due to a hamstring injury, while Cameron Johnson has not played since meniscus surgery in early November.

The Suns' injury issues mean their five-game losing streak may potentially snowball, but 37-year-old Paul remained bullish that they can turn it around.

"Not really," Paul told reporters when asked if he was worried about the losing run snowballing out of control. "As long as the locker room stays positive and understands that it’s a long season.

"We went on an 18-game winning streak [last season] and lost in the second round. You know what I mean? In this league you can't get too high or too low."

The Suns' five-game losing streak is their longest since the 2019-20 season. All five losses have occurred since Chris Paul returned after a 14-game absence due to a heel injury.

In a touching moment after the game, Suns head coach Monty Williams embraced Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, who was back on the sidelines for the first time since his father, three-time NBA champion Paul Silas, passed away on the weekend.

"Everybody knows he's one of the best people in the world," Silas said about Williams. "It means a lot from him.

"He's been through so much and has so many little tidbits and so many experiences that he draws from that he has a great way of communicating.

"Tonight his way of communicating was through a hug, which I needed. I love him for that, he's a good man."

Chris Paul felt "privileged" to have played with some of the NBA's best shooters in his career after becoming just the third player to reach 11,000 assists in the league on Sunday.

Devin Booker's 35-point haul helped the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-95, with Paul bringing up the landmark against his former team by teeing up Deandre Ayton to dunk.

In doing so, Paul joined John Stockton and Jason Kidd in an exclusive club of players with 11,000 NBA assists, also becoming the first man to amass that many assists as well as 20,000 points in NBA history.

Speaking after the Suns' win, Paul credited the quality of his teammates and said he was unaware of his achievement until after the game. 

"I've been fortunate to play for a while now with a lot of great shooters, great players in general,'' he said. "I'm privileged.

"There's been a lot of firsts here at the Staples Center, well, Crypto Arena. I honestly didn't have a clue until I checked out of the game."

Suns coach Monty Williams added: "It's amazing. I look at him and I'm like, 'holy smokes, I get to coach Chris Paul'.''

Paul, who also has the most assists for the Clippers in the franchise's history, finished with seven points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

The 12-time NBA All-Star has some way to go to top the league's assist charts, however, with his tally of 11,009 some way short of Stockton's record of 15,806.

The Phoenix Suns and head coach Monty Williams have agreed to a long-term contract extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday. 

The exact terms of the deal were not made public, but the extension adds multiple years onto Williams’ original deal, which had two seasons remaining. 

Williams has been at the helm during one of the best stretches in franchise history, guiding the Suns to a 2021 NBA Finals appearance and a franchise-best 64 wins last season. 

Williams has gone 149-78 (.656 win percentage) in three seasons with Phoenix and was named the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year. 

The Suns earned the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs last season and were considered favourites to return to a second straight Finals but were beaten in seven games by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. 

Deandre Ayton called it "a blessing" to return to the Phoenix Suns on his new four-year, $133million contract extension.

Ayton, 23, averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this past regular season, making it four consecutive seasons he has tallied at least 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest since entering the league in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The former first overall pick finished fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage (63.4 per cent), while also demonstrating he has the defensive versatility to close playoff games – a rare trait for a modern centre in the era of 'small-ball'.

Instead of paying their top pick his max contract a year early to take the pressure off – as the Dallas Mavericks did with Ayton's draft classmate Luka Doncic – the Suns decided against that route, forcing their seven-foot youngster to prove himself again a season after helping the franchise to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993.

After waiting to see what price Ayton would command on the open market, the Suns did not hesitate to match the Indiana Pacers' max offer sheet, as it was one year and $42m less than the Suns could have offered as the team that drafted him.

Speaking to ESPN in his first interview since making his extension with Phoenix official, Ayton said while he is grateful, the process has opened his eyes to the business side of the NBA.

"This is a blessing," he said. "This contract not only has generational impact for my family, but also with the way we are able to work in the Phoenix community and home in the Bahamas. 

"I've come to understand that this is a business. So, I was more anxious to know the end of the result so I could focus, move on and just get back to work. The shift in free agency brought a lot of uncertainty through the whole process. 

"I got to give a lot of respect to the Pacers organisation – they were aggressive from the start and showing a lot of love – and we agreed to a max offer sheet. The Suns matched, now, I'm back in Phoenix as a Sun.

"I'm happy the process is over. I can put all this behind me and focus on chasing a championship this upcoming season with my brothers."

Suns general manager James Jones told ESPN that the plan was always to bring Ayton back, although he called the decision to play things out through restricted free agency "negotiations", without going into it any further.

"We wanted Deandre here," he said. "He's vital to what we do, at the core of everything that we do. 

"Throughout this whole process it was, it rang true. We wanted to keep him here, and the moment we can come to an agreement, we would. 

"So, waiting 24 hours, 48 hours [to match the Pacers' offer], that wasn't something we needed to do because going into it, we knew this is where he wanted to be and where we wanted him to be.

"If there's any doubt from anyone that we wanted him, I think that the matching did that. It was urgent for us. It was important. It was critical for us. So, we just wanted to make sure that we handled our business quickly."

Phoenix head coach Monty Williams also said he was ecstatic to have his starting center back, despite an incident in the Suns' Game 7 elimination against the Golden State Warriors where Ayton allegedly refused to re-enter the game during the blowout loss, which Williams called an "internal" matter at the time.

"James [Jones] and myself, we talk a lot and he'll let me know what's going on with the contract and ask for my opinion," Williams said. 

"I try to stay out of persuading him when it comes to him making decisions, but we knew any offer that he got, we were going to match.

"I'm happy for Deandre just because I know this is what he wanted. He wants to be in that class of players that's regarded in this way. From that standpoint, I think as a competitor, that's what you want. When you see a guy working for that, that part is pretty cool."

In his first comments about the Game 7 situation, Ayton said any issues are now "in the past" and that his relationship with Williams is "calm".

When Williams was asked about the situation, he simply described it as "a bad day".

"I didn't feel like I had to say anything. I was just doing my job," he said. "We had a bad day, but we had an unbelievable season. 

"Unfortunately, in sports and even in society, we focus on the one bad thing. It hurt like crazy, and it still hurts. It was embarrassing to play that way, but as the dust settles and I look at the season from a holistic perspective, I look at all the good stuff that happened."

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams has won NBA Coach of the Year, beating fellow finalists Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and the Memphis Grizzlies' Taylor Jenkins.

Williams narrowly missed out on 2020-21 award, with the New York Knicks' Tom Thibodeau edging the final tally by 11 votes, but he was the clear choice this season after leading the Suns to a league-best 64-18 record.

As well as winning eight more games than any other team, it also set a new franchise record for wins in a season, and legitimised last year's run to the NBA Finals as more than a fluke.

The news was first broken by Suns star Devin Booker, who tweeted: "Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been voted the NBA's COY, book tells sources. A formal announcement is expected later today."

Williams, a former first-round pick in his own right, spent 10 years in the league as a player, and became the youngest head coach in the NBA in 2010 when he earned the head coaching role of the New Orleans Hornets at 38 years old.

After his departure from New Orleans and five years as an assistant, Williams was hired by the Suns in 2019, guiding his team to a memorable 8-0 run in the 'bubble' during his first season.

He has followed that season with two consecutive National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards, and his first official NBA Coach of the Year.

The Suns are a combined 115-39 over the past two regular seasons.

Jason Kidd called on Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks team-mates to "join the party" after the Slovenian star's 45-point haul was not enough to deny the Phoenix Suns a Game 1 win.

The top-seeded Suns drew first blood in the Western Conference semi-finals on Monday, winning 121-114 at Footprint Center on Monday.

Three-time NBA All-Star Doncic was outstanding yet again, also taking 12 rebounds and providing eight assists to go with his huge tally of points.

Maxi Kleber was the second-highest points scorer for the Mavs with 19 and coach Kidd says Doncic will need more support ahead of Game 2 in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Kidd said: "He [Doncic] got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange and then also I thought he got his team-mates some great looks that we normally had made.

"I thought he played great. We've just got to get someone to join the party."

Doncic did not brush over his analysis over where the Mavs had fallen short as he urged them to "attack the paint."

He said: "We've just got to attack more paint. I settled for a little too much step-backs for me. Attacking the paint is our lethal weapon.

"When we do that, we can score easily, especially with five-out and they've got a big rotating. We've got to attack more paint."

Deandre Ayton led the way for the Suns with 25, while Devin Booker posted 23 and had eight assists.

Suns coach Monty Williams said: "'I liked the fact that we weren't settling for threes. A lot of guys were attacking the paint, we were getting floaters and rim shots."