Jeff Hornacek's dismissal from the Phoenix Suns should be the first of many, many dominoes to fall within one of the NBA's most tumultuous organizations. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports first brought word that the Suns relieved Hornacek of his head coaching duties—a move that seemed inevitable for weeks.
The beginning of the end dates back to 2013-14.
Phoenix used mismatch-inciting, guard-loaded lineups to field a top-eight offense, tally 48 victories and finish a mere one game outside the Western Conference's playoff bubble. The Suns then doubled down on that model, re-signing Eric Bledsoe and acquiring Isaiah Thomas to play beside Goran Dragic before flipping those two for Brandon Knight of the Milwaukee Bucks midway through 2014-15.