Suns’ Owner Mat Ishbia shares opinion on team’s future and timeline

Mat Ishbia’s message is both ambitious and deliberate. He’s outlined a vision for the kind of players he wants, making it clear Phoenix won’t trade for talent that doesn’t align with the identity he’s building. Just as telling is his acknowledgment of time. Ishbia recently stated, “We have young players that are ascending instead of players that are descending,” Ishbia said. “We have players that wanna be here, that are bought into the Phoenix Suns’ culture. I can take the criticism for not defining (that culture) well enough when I bought the team, but it is defined very clearly now.” (Credit: Damon Allred | Arizona Sports)

That timeline is critical for fans to understand. The Suns are also reshaping their culture under new ownership. Mat Ishbia’s words serve as a reminder that building sustainable success doesn’t happen overnight.
The balance between urgency and patience defines the current era. The team’s playoff aspirations remain front and center, but Ishbia is asking for buy-in on a bigger picture.

Suns’ Owner Mat Ishbia on his expectations for the future:

“Do I expect it to take a couple of years to get to the point where you’re like, ‘Wow, I see the vision?’ Yes,” he explained. (Credit: Damon Allred | Arizona Sports)

The essence of Ishbia’s approach is that he feels the Suns already had talent, but needed alignment, direction, and a long-term plan. The vision is set, his timetable is clear, and the Suns’ journey toward long-term stability is only beginning.