First in history: Frank Vogel has just signed a contract worth $99.999 million that all Phoenix Suns head coaches weren’t able to sign.

First in history: Frank Vogel has just signed a contract worth $99.999 million that all Phoenix Suns head coaches weren’t able to sign.

Frank Vogel has been selected by the Phoenix Suns to be their next head coach.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Vogel and the Suns are close to agreeing to a $31 million, five-year contract.

Vogel takes over for Monty Williams, who was fired on May 13 after the Suns’ conference semifinal loss to the Denver Nuggets in six games. Williams was the highest-paid head coach in NBA history when he was hired by the Detroit Pistons on a reported six-year contract worth $78.5 million.

For the previous three seasons, Phoenix had been the league’s most successful team under Williams.

Vogel was one of three finalists for the job, according to a May 30 report from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, and it’s obvious that he performed well enough today to take his place apart from the group.

Prior to being fired after the 2021–2022 season, Vogel most recently led the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the NBA title in 2020. Throughout his career, he served in the same capacity for the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic, coaching his teams to seven postseason trips in his eleven years in that role.

A squad that is under intense pressure to capitalize on this recent window of title contention is being led by the 49-year-old. The Suns have missed the postseason in the second round the last two years, after making it to the NBA Finals in 2021.

Following the Brooklyn Nets’ acquisition of Kevin Durant during the trade deadline, Phoenix was favored to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals once more in February, which makes their defeat all the more painful. The 13-time All-Star will have a cap hit of $47.6 million in 2023–24 as he enters the second year of a four-year contract.

Even though Durant and Devin Booker are perhaps the best basketball team in the world, the Suns’ lack of depth hurt them in the postseason. Before getting hurt early in the series against the Nuggets, Chris Paul was starting to show signs of aging, while Deandre Ayton had all but vanished from the game during the postseason.

But after trading Mikal for a pick and forfeiting four more future unprotected first-round selections, Phoenix is unable to make meaningful roster additions In exchange for Durant, Bridges and Cameron Johnson were sent.

With all the elements in place, Vogel will have to make it happen on the court as the Suns pursue a championship that has eluded them for the whole of their history.