The Phoenix Suns’ offseason has already taken a few sharp turns, and now another familiar name is out the door. Coaching advisor Steve Clifford has left the organization for the Washington Wizards, a move that adds one more wrinkle to a summer that has already tested the team’s promise of continuity.
No reason was given for Clifford’s departure, though his health may have been a factor. When he was brought in a year ago, the expectation was that he would mostly support the Suns from a distance. The Wizards may have offered him a more hands-on role.
That matters for a Suns team that did a lot right last season on the way to the playoffs. First-time head coach Jordan Ott deserves plenty of credit for that, but having experienced voices like Clifford - and even franchise icon Steve Nash - around him could only have helped.
There’s also a certain irony here. Clifford, who is best known for his time with the Charlotte Hornets, is now moving on just as Phoenix continues to reshape its roster and staff in a chaotic offseason.
The Suns’ dealings with Charlotte have already drawn plenty of attention. The Miles Bridges trade ended the club’s talk of continuity, and the deal sending Bridges out for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and an unprotected first-round pick in 2033 was not a popular one. Before that, the Mark Williams move brought more questions than answers for a while, even though Phoenix did manage to unload both Jusuf Nurkic and Josh Okogie in separate deals.
The addition of Pat Spencer on a two-way contract was a useful pickup, but it doesn’t solve the Suns’ concerns at point guard.
For Washington, bringing in Clifford fits with a broader push to be taken seriously. The Wizards are pairing him with first overall pick AJ Dybantsa, Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and that’s a clear signal of intent.
Clifford is the kind of veteran presence that makes sense for a team trying to win now. His track record with a rebuilding Orlando Magic group didn’t produce the desired results, but he has long been at his best in situations where the goal is to help a team compete. That’s still supposed to be the mission in Phoenix, too.
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