The Los Angeles Lakers may have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but they’re far from the most dysfunctional team in the NBA right now.
The Lakers, for the first time in a few years, are in a strong position to contend for next season and beyond now that they have Luka Doncic to lead the franchise once LeBron James retires. Most teams envy the ability to compete for a championship today and still have enough talent to challenge for titles in the future, so Los Angeles is fortunate to be in the position they’re in.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Pacific Division has several questions to answer, though the Phoenix Suns have the murkiest future given their bloated cap sheet, lack of draft assets and a roster that isn’t close to winning a championship. Phoenix fired former head coach Mike Budenholzer earlier this offseason following their disastrous 2024-25 season and set off on an extensive search for a new leader.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, it appears the Suns have landed on former Lakers assistant coach Jordan Ott to become their new head coach:
Just In: The Phoenix Suns are hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as the franchise's new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Ott has been an NBA assistant since 2012 and has a strong background of offensive and defensive creativity, player development and communication. pic.twitter.com/doDE6Fahdj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2025
Ott most recently served as an assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers where he helped lead them to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Prior to his lone season in Cleveland, Ott served under former Los Angeles head coach Darvin Ham for two seasons. Before that, he was a video coordinator and assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets, respectively.
With the Suns hiring Ott, it appears they’ve accepted they will need to make some major changes to their roster with the most notable move being trading Kevin Durant. It would sting for Phoenix to have to begin a rebuild, but it’s the best choice for the organization’s long-term health.
Danny Green doesn’t think Lakers can win with Luka Doncic and LeBron James
While the Suns look to rebuild their roster this offseason, the Lakers will be busy retooling theirs around Luka Doncic and LeBron James. However, former Laker Danny Green believes the team won’t be able to win a title with just Doncic and James.
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