5 candidates to be next Phoenix Suns head coach

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 18: Head coach Earl Watson of the Phoenix Suns reacts as he walks off the court following the NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 18, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 124-76. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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3. Eric Musselman

Musselman is entering his third season as head coach at the University of Nevada (Reno), with a 52-21 record over his first two seasons while coming off a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance last year. But he has a lot of experience as a coach in the NBA, as a head man and an assistant, and he was also a head coach in the CBA once upon a time and in the NBA D-League (now G-League) more recently.

Musselman’s NBA head coaching record is as brief (three seasons with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings) as it is mediocre (.439 winning percentage), and he seems to have found a home at the college level over the last handful of years. But it’s easy to see the 52-year old wanting another chance as a head coach in the NBA at some point, if an opportunity is out there, and the Suns can provide that opportunity.

Musselman is operating below the radar at Nevada, and the quick success the Wolfpack have had under him is sure to make him a candidate for a bigger college job in short order. But the NBA, even in the state of dysfunction the Suns are in right now, carries some lure that can’t be totally ignored.

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