Suns interview former Hornets coach Clifford, Spurs assistant Borrego

The Phoenix Suns’ search for a new head coach continues and they had two more interviews with candidates.

The Suns interviewed San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego on Thursday and former Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford Friday, 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro confirmed.

Borrego’s background began in the Spurs’ film room and led to him being named an interim head coach as a 37-year-old when the Magic fired Jacque Vaughn in 2015.

An Albuquerque native, Borrego was credited with instilling a stronger defense that jumped from 106.1 points per 100 possessions before Vaughn was fired to 103.7 after, the latter of which ranked a respectable 19th over Orlando’s final 30 games.

Clifford was fired by Charlotte after a second consecutive 36-46 record that saw the Hornets fall outside the playoff picture. In his five years on the Hornets’ bench, Clifford guided the team to the playoffs, but they lost in the first round in both 2014 and 2016.

The 56-year-old also missed 21 games in the 2017-18 season while dealing with a sleep deprivation issue.

The two coaches join Suns interim head coach Jay Triano and former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale as the reported names to have in-person interviews. Former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer met with the team for two days but removed himself from consideration for the job.

According to Gambadoro, former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd was informed Friday he will not be involved in the team’s search going forward.

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