10 worst Suns roster moves under Mat Ishbia’s ownership, ranked

During the 2024-25 season, it was clear that the Suns had issues with their backcourt. Nonetheless, this made them sign two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas, who was itching to return to the league, to a 10-day contract. Although the risks were low, Thomas failed to make an impact for Phoenix. He averaged just 1.3 points per game before going scoreless in his lone playoff appearance.

9. Suns pick up Terrence Ross

After landing Kevin Durant in Phoenix, the Suns front office needed to fortify their supporting cast. Hence, they picked up Terrence Ross, who had just agreed to a buyout with the Orlando Magic. Theoretically, Ross was penciled to inject more firepower on offense.

However, playing with the new Suns core left him with little to no touches. Failing to find a rhythm, Ross was limited to 9.0 points per game on just 34.7% shooting from beyond the arc. To make matters worse, he only produced 3.7 points per game in the playoffs.

8. Suns re-sign Bol Bol

Since his showing in the NBA Bubble, everyone was high on Bol Bol’s potential. When he joined the Suns in the 2023 offseason, everyone expected it to be a fresh start that would finally unleash his full potential. But instead, it was another developmental stopover for the 7-foot-3 big man.

After a subpar season, Phoenix opted to re-sign him. However, despite their frontcourt woes, Bol Bol just couldn’t prove himself to be trusted with valuable playing time. He has only put up 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game across two seasons, which aren’t exactly productive numbers while playing for a team that has been depleted in the frontcourt.

7. Suns sign Eric Gordon

Despite being undersized at the shooting guard position, Eric Gordon has established himself in the NBA as a valuable scorer. His addition to the Suns roster in the 2023 summer was supposed to add more scoring in the second unit. Unfortunately, Gordon was already 35 years old, showing signs of slowing down and inconsistency. Although he tallied 11.0 points per game, Gordon grew unhappy in Phoenix due to the lack of touches, adding unnecessary woes to a struggling team.

6. Suns sign Tyus Jones

While playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Tyus Jones was a force to be reckoned with. He was a standout for the Grizzlies when the team had to endure Ja Morant’s absence. He was also fresh from a productive stint with the Washington Wizards. As a result, it was only natural that the Suns celebrated when they found a way to steal Jones during the 2024 offseason.

Unfortunately, Jones was disappointing for Phoenix, particularly on the defensive end. Due to the Suns’ new team construction, his weaknesses and defensive lapses were exposed. Moreover, his offensive production also took a dip while playing alongside the trio of Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker.

5. Suns give up a first-round pick to send away Jusuf Nurkic

Jusuf Nurkic had a terrible start to the 2024-25 season. With the Suns desperate for assets, it was clear that the Bosnian Beast had to go. At the 2025 trade deadline, the Suns finally found a trading partner in the form of the Charlotte Hornets. Although it was the right decision to part ways with Nurkic, Phoenix had to give up a first-round pick to acquire Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick. For a team that already has a depleted draft capital, the move certainly raised eyebrows.

4. Suns acquire Drew Eubanks

As part of the transition to Ishbia’s ownership, the Suns were beefing up their frontcourt by taking a chance on role players like Drew Eubanks. The 6-foot-9 center was clearly a misstep in the team’s roster construction. As a terrible fit, Eubanks averaged just 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per outing. To make matters worse, his Suns tenure got more attention only due to his altercation with Isaiah Stewart.

3. Suns bring in Kevin Durant

The Suns were relatively fresh from an appearance at the 2021 NBA Finals. The run proved that the roster had a bright future. But with a change in ownership, Ishbia immediately made his presence felt by orchestrating a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. Naturally, a Durant acquisition ultimately shakes the playoff landscape.

However, that wasn’t the case here. In the process, the Suns were forced to give up key players to their original Finals team, parting ways with two-way players such as Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson. The move left the team with little to no depth. And after Durant’s arrival, Phoenix only garnered two playoff appearances that both ended in early exits.

2. Suns ship away DeAndre Ayton

Another major move that altered the Suns’ future was parting ways with the top overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, DeAndre Ayton. He was supposed to anchor the Suns franchise for years to come. However, they sent him and Toumani Camara to the Portland Trail Blazers to get the services of Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.

The absence of Ayton would be felt by the team, as they were forced to play without his interior presence. Unfortunately, Nurkic failed to fill the void. While Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro are promising prospects, neither have proven to be as impactful as Ayton, who recently signed with the Lakers.

1. Trading Chris Paul for Bradley Beal

The biggest fumble under Ishbia’s ownership has been the Suns basically swapping Chris Paul for Bradley Beal. CP3 was the main facilitator of the 2021 Finals team. While his age was already a concern, getting Beal was a risky move at best. Not only was Beal a terrible fit in Phoenix alongside Durant and Booker, but his contract had a massive effect on the team’s assets.

Beal’s lucrative deal that included a no-trade-clause were major shackles that prevented the Suns front office from making roster upgrades. In the end, the big three failed miserably as Phoenix didn’t even make the Play-In Tournament, let alone the playoffs.