Phoenix Suns: 5 candidates to replace Ryan McDonough as GM

After firing general manager Ryan McDonough nine days before the 2018-19 NBA season, here are five candidates to replace him as the new Phoenix Suns GM.

Last year, the Phoenix Suns fired their head coach and were forced to start searching for trades to get Eric Bledsoe out of town just three games into the regular season. Three games into the preseason this year, the Suns are at it again.

Monday morning, the team announced that general manager Ryan McDonough had been fired, with vice president of basketball operations James Jones and assistant general manager Trevor Bukstein set to take over in the interim.

Firing McDonough is not an odd decision in and of itself. The team had a 155-255 during his five seasons at the helm, and he failed in nearly every facet as a GM. He failed to properly set the team up for tanking, with his initial roster teardown resulting in a fun and unexpected 48-win season in 2013-14 that ultimately doomed the franchise to mediocrity for the next few years.

He failed to build through the middle, striking out on LaMarcus Aldridge and so many other stars in free agency. He failed on the trade market, dealing away a valuable draft pick in the disastrous Brandon Knight trade — a pick he ultimately got back, but not without shedding more assets originally acquired in the Goran Dragic deal.

Speaking of Dragic, he failed when it came to player relations, routinely treating them like Pokemon cards. The NBA is a business, sure, but when guys like Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Mike James and so many others ALL spoke ill of their time in Phoenix, it wasn’t just about the disposition of a few disgruntled ex-Suns.

McDonough even failed in the draft, with Devin Booker at No. 13 being his lone saving grace (and no, we’re not counting Deandre Ayton in that category yet since he was a No. 1 overall pick). T.J. Warren is a decent scorer and Josh Jackson might be good in time, but then the names Alex Len, Archie Goodwin, Tyler Ennis, Tyler Ulis, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Alec Peters and Davon Reed all come roaring back into focus.

There are also the misses and sunk costs to consider. 2013 was a ugly crapshoot and no one knew Giannis Antetokounmpo would be this good, but Gary Harris and Clint Capela in 2014, plus Jamal Murray or simply keeping Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s rights in 2016, stand out as sore thumbs. Several guys after Jackson could join the list, Jordan Bell was a can’t-miss second round prospect in 2017 and Luka Doncic could even join this group too (even though Ayton has been terrific so far).

The timing of this firing, however, is curious. Were three preseason games with the team’s need for a point guard being so glaringly obvious that McDonough had to be canned now? Was it the Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss trade, coupled with Dragan Bender’s noticeable lack of progress? Was it trading away that 2021 Miami Heat first-rounder on draft night? Was it all of the above?

After arguably the biggest summer of his tenure, McDonough getting canned now, after the draft and free agency, is a baffling move, even if the end result was coming all along. Now there should be concern over whether Phoenix makes a panic move and overpays for a mediocre, short-term fix at point guard on the trade market.

There should also be concern over what happens next with the vacant GM position. Jones and Bukstein will take over for now, but who should be the next general manager of the Phoenix Suns? Here are the top five candidates.

Honorable Mentions

• Trevor Bukstein — One of two interim GMs for the Suns, who will handle player transactions in the meantime.
• Kevin McHale — Has already been mentioned by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski as a candidate to keep an eye on. This would not be good.
• Rich Cho — One of the league’s more recently fired GMs who would at least be better than McHale.
• Bryan Colangelo — LOLOLOLOLOL
• Jonah Hill —