“There are times where I wish I could’ve handled things differently” - Monty Williams opens up on his equation with former number one draft pick, dismisses the rumors surrounding their relationship

Over the past few years, Monty Williams has cemented himself as one of the NBA's top coaches. Since becoming the Phoenix Suns head coach, he has turned them into one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

In his four seasons with Phoenix, Williams has a record of 149-78. After a shocking run to the NBA Finals in 2021, the Suns followed that up by achieving 68 wins in the regular season last year. However, their playoff run ended in the second round after being upset by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

For the most part, players have never spoken out against Williams and his coaching style. That being said, there have been rumors about a tethered relationship between him and former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton. This narrative mainly stems from when the young center was benched during Game 7 against the Mavs.

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, the reigning Coach of the Year opened up about the bond he shares with Ayton. He feels the chatter about them not getting along has been blown out of proportion.

"I've heard all that stuff second and third hand, all the narratives. The bottom line is I have to coach. All of our players will tell you that I coach everybody."

"I think DA said it best when he did an interview. Our relationship is calm. I've invested a lot of time into the player and the person... There are times when I wish could have handled things a little bit differently."

It's clear that Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton don't have issues with their relationship

Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Players and coaches have disagreements from time to time. Given the culture Phoenix has built, it's hard to think Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton don't get along. Teams don't burst on the scene the way they have since the bubble unless the entire collective is brought in together.

Another thing that goes against this narrative is the key move the Suns made this summer. While not initially offering Ayton a max contract extension, the young center is returning to Phoenix after the team matched his offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers.

Following this move, the Suns are now locked into Ayton long term and at a high price tag. If his relationship with Williams was as bad as some think, it's unlikely they'd retain him in free agency.

Based on the coache's comments, it doesn't appear like the Suns have any locker room issues they need to worry about going forward.