In a surprising move, the Phoenix Suns have decided to part ways with head coach Frank Vogel following their disappointing first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news on Thursday afternoon.

Vogel's tenure in Phoenix was short-lived, lasting just a single season which yielded a respectable 49-33 regular-season record. However, the Suns were swept by the Timberwolves in the opening round, leading to Vogel's dismissal.

The Suns had high expectations for this season after bolstering their roster with the acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in recent years. Despite finishing sixth in the Western Conference, Phoenix was unable to secure a playoff victory.

One of the main concerns for the Suns is their roster depth. They made significant trades to construct their team around All-NBA guard Devin Booker, including sending players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets along with four first-round draft picks to acquire Durant. Last offseason, they also dealt Chris Paul and Landry Shamet to acquire Beal from the Washington Wizards.

These deals depleted the Suns' bench and left them without a true point guard in the rotation. Both Booker and Beal, primarily scoring guards, took turns running the offense. Furthermore, the team lacks size upfront outside of starting center Jusuf Nurkić, which was exposed by the Timberwolves' dominant front line featuring Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid.

The hope was that the star-studded roster would propel the Suns to championship contention, but it has become evident that the current construction is not built to compete with the top teams in the Western Conference.

While the decision to dismiss Vogel may not directly address the team's roster issues, it does provide a starting point for the Suns to make necessary adjustments in the upcoming offseason. The franchise will now embark on a search for their third head coach in as many years.

For Vogel, this marks the end of his tenure in Phoenix but not the end of his coaching career. With 19 seasons of NBA experience as an assistant and head coach, including a championship-winning season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20, Vogel will now be back on the job market, seeking new opportunities.

The Phoenix Suns now find themselves at a crossroads as they evaluate their roster and coaching direction moving forward. With the potential to address their depth and frontcourt size issues, the Suns will be looking to make the necessary adjustments to once again compete at the highest level in the Western Conference.