Mike Budenholzer reportedly withdraws from Phoenix Suns coaching search

Though reporting indicates that the Atlanta Hawks and head coach Mike Budenholzer are mutually “open to ending their partnership,” it appears that the 2014-2015 NBA Coach of the Year will not be moving to the Phoenix Suns in the near future. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski brings word on Thursday evening that Budenholzer has withdrawn from Phoenix’s ongoing coaching search.

The Hawks gave Budenholzer permission to interview with the Suns and that reportedly took place on Monday and Tuesday. With that said, there would have been multiple hoops to jump through in order to finalize a deal, including potential compensation changing hands from Phoenix to Atlanta in the event of an offer being accepted.

Though it is unclear why Budenholzer would step back at this time, it is possible that the Suns were not willing to meet his asking price, given that the head coach is reportedly set to make between $13 million and $14 million in total over the next seasons in Atlanta. Still, this news does not necessarily slam the door on Budenholzer looking for employment elsewhere, with several jobs already open around the league and the Milwaukee Bucks (previously linked to Budenholzer) likely to open in the near future.

Stay tuned.