Phoenix Suns, coach Monty Williams conform to long-term extension, sources say

The Phoenix Suns and Monty Williams, the NBA’s reigning coach of the 12 months, have agreed on a long-term contract extension, sources informed ESPN on Saturday.

Williams, who was voted the Nationwide Basketball Coach’s Affiliation’s coach of the 12 months in consecutive seasons, had two years left on his unique five-year deal, and now strikes underneath contract for a number of extra years, sources stated.

Williams’ affect on the Suns’ group has been profound, together with a visit to the 2021 NBA Finals and a franchise-record 64 regular-season victories final season. Williams has gone 149-78 (.656) in his three seasons and delivered accountability and function to a wayward Suns’ program, reworking a staff that had received 19 video games previous to his arrival into one of many league’s greatest groups.

The Suns final season joined the 1969-70 New York Knicks as the one groups to complete with a greater street victory share than each different staff’s residence victory share in a season. The Suns have been 47-Zero when main after three quarters — the very best within the shot-clock period. The one two different groups that went undefeated in that state of affairs within the common season each included LeBron James — the 2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers.

Among the many Suns’ regular-season dominance final season: a franchise-record 18-game profitable streak and three separate profitable streaks of nine-plus video games in a season when the remainder of the NBA had a mixed 4 streaks of 9 or extra victories.

The Suns have been the one staff to rank within the prime 5 in offensive and defensive effectivity and went 33-9 in clutch-time video games — the very best file in such conditions within the NBA for the reason that 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.

Regardless of the league-best and franchise-record 64 victories, the Suns have been blown out in a Sport 7 at residence to the Dallas Mavericks within the Western Convention semifinals. Phoenix reached the NBA Finals in 2021, shedding in six video games to the Milwaukee Bucks.

By the previous season, Williams’ management was examined by the distractions of an NBA investigation into proprietor Robert Sarver’s conduct, stemming from an ESPN investigation.

ESPN’s Stats & Data contributed to this story.