Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is owning up to his early missteps and making it clear that things are going to look a lot different moving forward.
In a candid interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Ishbia said his initial strategy after taking over the team two years ago — throwing money and draft picks at an already solid roster — wasn’t the answer.
“The big thing I learned is you got to start and have the vision and identity from day one and I did not do that with the Phoenix Suns,” Ishbia said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I thought, ‘Hey, let’s add some money. They’ve already got a good thing going. Let’s untap some resources and it will only get better,’ and that’s not how it works.”
The remarks came in the wake of a busy offseason that saw Phoenix trade Kevin Durant and agree to a buyout with Bradley Beal, ending an era that never quite clicked on the court.
“Everybody has got to have an alignment of what we’re about here in Phoenix and we didn’t do a good enough job of that,” Ishbia added. “That’s on me. I’ll take the blame.”
“Alignment” has become a buzzword for the Suns this summer. Ishbia has used it repeatedly while discussing the team’s new approach — one that includes a new front office and a third head coach in as many offseasons.
The Suns owner said he and newly promoted general manager Brian Gregory are now “completely aligned,” and emphasized that there’s no need to worry about Devin Booker’s happiness as long as that alignment stays in place.
“Devin’s going to be happy because we’re going to try to win,” Ishbia said. “We’re going to do things that will be aligned with the vision and the identity that he agrees with 1000% and I agree with 1000% along with our GM and our coach (Jordan Ott). The alignment from owner to GM to coach to star/franchise player was never there before, to be clear. It is now and it’s crystal clear.”
Phoenix has shifted gears this summer, focusing on “younger, up-and-coming” talent and creating salary cap flexibility. That was the goal in the Durant blockbuster with Houston, a deal that brought back guard Jalen Green and forward Dillon Brooks.
“We wanted Jalen Green, to be clear,” Ishbia said. “We like Jalen. He’s 23 years old, the leading scorer for the two seed in the West. And Dillon Brooks, he’s a straight dog. He’s the type of guy we want here in Phoenix. He’s not on your team, you probably don’t like him, but I’m telling you … he plays defense against the best player. He’s great around Booker. You put him around Booker, you put Jalen Green with Booker, we feel good about that.”
The Suns may not be as star-studded as they were last fall. But if you ask their owner, they’re finally built on the same page.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!