Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and general manager Ryan McDonough held individual meetings with Suns players on Sunday, trying to gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding the team's spiral, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Suns are 12-20 to start the season, including a humiliating defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night in Phoenix.
Management met with key players and assistant coaches on Sunday, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Ownership and management has been reluctant to fire coach Jeff Hornacek, affording him every chance to work the team out of its struggles, league sources said.
The Suns lost guard Eric Bledsoe for several weeks to a meniscus injury on Saturday night, and forward Markieff Morris will serve one more game on a suspension for throwing a towel at Hornacek on the team's bench last week.
Assistant coach Mike Longabardi is a possible short-term solution as an interim coach, should the Suns fire Hornacek. Another possibility could be assistant coach Earl Watson.
Hornacek, a popular former Suns player, has strong relationships with Sarver and McDonough, but ownership's patience with the franchise's loss of momentum could ultimately prompt a change.
Hornacek won 48 games as a rookie coach in 2013-14, before the team took a step back last season.
Hornacek has a team option on the 2016-17 season in his contract, which the organization has yet to exercise.
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