Suns Off Season Changes for 2025-26

[Phrazbit]

What's the difference between this guy and just keeping James Jones?

Jones wasn't enough of a stooge..?

Not sure.

 

[Phrazbit]

A reporter asked for more media availability to the Suns front office, but no definitive answer was given.

The silence from the Suns front office under the James Jones era has been deafening.

If they want fans to bond with the team, they need to talk to them and let them share the vision.

I couldn't disagree more. The Suns being tight lipped was a good thing. Loose lips sink ships.

The recent trend of the Suns goals being known to everyone (trading for Durant, wanting to dump Ayton, desperate to dump Nurk, desperate for Jimmy) has led to one awful trade after another.

 

[Superbone]

What's the difference between this guy and just keeping James Jones?

Less experience.

 

[Mainstreet]

Did it make you feel worse? That's the real question.

Yes, the press conference made me feel worse.

The words rang hollow without clarity on how the Suns were going to change direction. I wanted to hear more about action.

 

[Mainstreet]

I couldn't disagree more. The Suns being tight lipped was a good thing. Loose lips sink ships.

The recent trend of the Suns goals being known to everyone (trading for Durant, wanting to dump Ayton, desperate to dump Nurk, desperate for Jimmy) has led to one awful trade after another.

What can I say. The ship sunk.

 

[Yuma]

Yes, the press conference made me feel worse.

The words rang hollow without clarity on how the Suns were going to change direction. I wanted to hear more about action.

It made me feel worse, not on direction, because I feel that was made clear in the scrappy play direction, etc. It was more on the lack of clear cut examples of where he was able to execute GM level actions.

I did find more clarity on his timeline with the Suns being two years, because most were saying mere months. It also was illuminating that he had a role similar to quality control in the NFL, where a guy reports on every department, etc., and how they can be better, etc. Now what things did he uncover, and did the Suns make any positive changes out of it is unclear. Sounded mostly like he made reports to Ishbia on what he saw, heard, etc.

The one thing I agree with Dave Burns on, is being a former coach, you would expect him to be able to evaluate coaches, especially college coaches, which is the rumor we are looking to hire, or assistants rising through the ranks.

I also think handling players, staff, players families, etc., he should be decent at that you would expect from being a college coach. Also free agents. If you can't recruit in college, you don't last. He has to have SOME skills in that.

I am in the wait and see camp. If we do draft guys in this draft, and we handle possible KD and Beal trades/exits well, that's what we can grade him on. Right now, I don't think I can give him credit for Oso and Dunn. He's starting fresh in my book.

 

[Mainstreet]

It made me feel worse, not on direction, because I feel that was made clear in the scrappy play direction, etc. It was more on the lack of clear cut examples of where he was able to execute GM level actions.

I did find more clarity on his timeline with the Suns being two years, because most were saying mere months. It also was illuminating that he had a role similar to quality control in the NFL, where a guy reports on every department, etc., and how they can be better, etc. Now what things did he uncover, and did the Suns make any positive changes out of it is unclear. Sounded mostly like he made reports to Ishbia on what he saw, heard, etc.

The one thing I agree with Dave Burns on, is being a former coach, you would expect him to be able to evaluate coaches, especially college coaches, which is the rumor we are looking to hire, or assistants rising through the ranks.

I also think handling players, staff, players families, etc., he should be decent at that you would expect from being a college coach. Also free agents. If you can't recruit in college, you don't last. He has to have SOME skills in that.

I am in the wait and see camp. If we do draft guys in this draft, and we handle possible KD and Beal trades/exits well, that's what we can grade him on. Right now, I don't think I can give him credit for Oso and Dunn. He's starting fresh in my book.

I hope there are some intelligent decision makers helping Brian Gregory along the way because this is the NBA not college.

He will be competing against the best of the best when it comes to general managers.

 

[Hoop Head]

You still don't think those picks are gold?

When it comes to future picks, those picks we owe Houston are the most valuable assets in the entire league, we have, by bar, the dimmest future future of any team in the league and the perception of our impending doom only grows stronger with each decision the franchise makes.

I would not be surprised if we are a bottom 10 every single year from now to 2032.

I thought that was impossible with Ishbia's checkbook?

Willingness to spend in the NBA guarantees nothing. I'm glad everyone seems to have learned that. It sucks we had to see the debacle to play out to realize it but I hope that checkbook narrative is officially dead.

 

[AzStevenCal]

You still don't think those picks are gold?

When it comes to future picks, those picks we owe Houston are the most valuable assets in the entire league, we have, by bar, the dimmest future future of any team in the league and the perception of our impending doom only grows stronger with each decision the franchise makes.

I would not be surprised if we are a bottom 10 every single year from now to 2032.

Agreed but if we continue to focus on trying to improve the present by using future assets that 2032 could easily become 2040 and beyond. Until we wise up and pay the full price for our past stupidity, we're just delaying the inevitable.

 

[Covert Rain]

You still don't think those picks are gold?

When it comes to future picks, those picks we owe Houston are the most valuable assets in the entire league, we have, by bar, the dimmest future future of any team in the league and the perception of our impending doom only grows stronger with each decision the franchise makes.

I would not be surprised if we are a bottom 10 every single year from now to 2032.

The odds say no. It’s a complete crap shoot after the top 3 statistically. Now if you ask me would I like to have a chance? Sure.

 

[Yuma]

I hope there are some intelligent decision makers helping Brian Gregory along the way because this is the NBA not college.

He will be competing against the best of the best when it comes to general managers.

Maybe Brandon Kleen wasn't there or wasn't picked for a question. This was his question exactly. What support staff does he have since he's a new general manager?

 

[Mainstreet]

Maybe Brandon Kleen wasn't there or wasn't picked for a question. This was his question exactly. What support staff does he have since he's a new general manager?

I heard Brandon Kleen called for a question today, but I don't recall the exact interaction. It would be there on video.

 

[az jam]

IMO he is not a good public speaker. Very weak credentials for the job. Seems clueless on what is needed and how to do it. Totally committed to the owner. Sorry but just a terrible press conference. Very depressing for Suns fans.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Just saw this story. It does not sound good regarding the FO changes.

Report: Suns Make More Key Front Office Changes

Some key executives are reportedly no longer with the Suns after they promoted Brian Gregory to GM.

www.si.com

Well that sounds promising. Lol. What a garbage beginning to ishbia’s era.

 

[Phrazbit]

The odds say no. It’s a complete crap shoot after the top 3 statistically. Now if you ask me would I like to have a chance? Sure.

The odds of drafting a meaningful player outside of the top 20 are rather low, as draft assets those are the most valuable picks in the NBA right now.

Even if Houston doesn’t use them themselves to draft quality players, it puts them in the driver seat to make a huge splash in a trade.

Meanwhile, we have nothing. What little draft capital we own is utterly worthless.

 

[Folster]

A look back at our recent GM history from recollection isn't very inspiring.

Lance Blanks: He always sounded dumb and it never seemed like he was in charge. Sarver and Babby were the ones pulling the strings. Babby got all of his guys contracts and our drafting was crap, because they would not move on from the Nash era, content to squeak into the playoffs and get bounced in the first round.

Ryan McDonough: Young and inexperienced, but billed as the Celtics' scouting wunderkind. He whiffed on many high picks that most of us liked at the time. He was a poor communicator and had wretched interpersonal skills.

James Jones: Brought in to establish player cred that Sarver and McDonough were sorely lacking. While he proved to be a competent team builder, his disregard of the draft and preference for finished products over potential was short-sighted despite him actually nailing a couple picks with that strategy. His front office was locked down before Ishbia bought the team. Nothing ever leaked from us.

 

[Yuma]

@Mainstreet

BY DAN BICKLEY
Bickley & Marotta co-host and columnist
The Suns have a new buzzword: Alignment. It is repeated so often that press conferences sound like trips to Discount Tires.

 

[Yuma]

Just saw this story. It does not sound good regarding the FO changes.

Report: Suns Make More Key Front Office Changes

Some key executives are reportedly no longer with the Suns after they promoted Brian Gregory to GM.

www.si.com

Wow! Just wow.

 

[taz02]

Is there anything positive happening with this team, anything to look forward to?

NEGATIVE:
floundering owner
GM w/0 experience
no quality draft pics
no up and coming stars
no playoffs
three of the 10 highest paid players
players that don't fit
no coach
second apron

POSITIVE:
?

 

[95pro]

Is there anything positive happening with this team, anything to look forward to?

NEGATIVE:
floundering owner
GM w/0 experience
no quality draft pics
no up and coming stars
no playoffs
three of the 10 highest paid players
players that don't fit
no coach
second apron

POSITIVE:
?

cheap arena snacks

 

[Folster]

cheap arena snacks

Moving the Suns to broadcast TV is the best move of the Ishbia era

 

[taz02]

cheap arena snacks

Oh good, I thought we were in real trouble...

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

Is there anything positive happening with this team, anything to look forward to?

NEGATIVE:
floundering owner
GM w/0 experience
no quality draft pics
no up and coming stars
no playoffs
three of the 10 highest paid players
players that don't fit
no coach
second apron

POSITIVE:
?

can't get worse

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

Moving the Suns to broadcast TV is the best move of the Ishbia era

*until you watch the games

 

[AzStevenCal]

can't get worse

Of course it can.