Suns Off Season Changes for 2025-26

[Folster]

*until you watch the games

At least I'm not paying for it.

 

[Superbone]

At least I'm not paying for it.

You get what you pay for, right?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

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

Jones has actually built a championship contending squad?

 

[Chaplin]

Jones has actually built a championship contending squad?

LOL

Should have known we'd get James Jones apologists answering that question.

He also destroyed a championship contending squad.

 

[Cheesebeef]

LOL

Should have known we'd get James Jones apologists answering that question.

Hmmm… I don’t think I’ve ever considered Chris a James Jones apologist. Feel like over the years he’s railed against him for a bunch of moves.

 

[Mainstreet]

I have to say I'm flabbergasted from yesterday's press conference. There no longer seems any doubt who is making the decisions.
The Suns seemingly have become a groupthink organization from ownership on down. Everything has to be aligned.

Even the hire of a new head coach doesn't inspire confidence.

I'm not sure who wants someone looking over their shoulder all the time.

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[ASUCHRIS]

Hmmm… I don’t think I’ve ever considered Chris a James Jones apologist. Feel like over the years he’s railed against him for a bunch of moves.

Saying anything positive about him apparently makes me a Jones apologist.

He's been a decent GM - made some serious mistakes, but he also put together a pretty damn good squad. He's certainly far more qualified and experienced than Gregory.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I have to say I'm flabbergasted from yesterday's press conference. There no longer seems any doubt who is making the decisions.
The Suns seemingly have become a groupthink organization from ownership on down. Everything has to be aligned.

Even the hire of a new hire head coach doesn't inspire confidence.

I'm not sure who wants someone looking over his shoulder all the time.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Someone who isn't autonomous, and someone who will be an order taker from the owner.

 

[Chaplin]

Saying anything positive about him apparently makes me a Jones apologist.

He's been a decent GM - made some serious mistakes, but he also put together a pretty damn good squad. He's certainly far more qualified and experienced than Gregory.

And again, he also tore it all down. So how can you give him positives for building it but ignore the fact that it was basically destroyed on his watch?

 

[Superbone]

And again, he also tore it all down. So how can you give him positives for building it but ignore the fact that it was basically destroyed on his watch?

We don't know that. Could have been all Ishbia.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

And again, he also tore it all down. So how can you give him positives for building it but ignore the fact that it was basically destroyed on his watch?

I'm not ignoring it - I can hold competing ideas in my head at the same time and then draw a conclusion that takes into account both positions.

In addition, it's impossible for me to completely judge Jones for what has happened, especially since the addition of Ish and Bartlestein. Many of the moves since Ish has been on board reek of a meddlesome owner, so how much of our downfall should be blamed on Jones is entirely in question.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

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

"There’s a belief that no one knows who’s in charge, one high-ranking league source said.

“'This is a horror movie,' they shared."

How much dysfunction does Ish need to show people before they'll believe that he's the biggest problem here?

 

[Mainstreet]

We don't know that. Could have been all Ishbia.

Note that fun fact that wasn't fun, the 2020 NBA draft.

 

[95pro]

We are in agreement then. The GM should be making the calls. The present situation appears clouded with the hire of Gregory, though. Right now it appears GM by committee.

I think this is the issue. In the presser Ish said something like "the guys come to me with ideas, and its up to me to sign off on them or not".

I have to say I'm flabbergasted from yesterday's press conference. There no longer seems any doubt who is making the decisions.
The Suns seemingly have become a groupthink organization from ownership on down. Everything has to be aligned.

Even the hire of a new head coach doesn't inspire confidence.

I'm not sure who wants someone looking over their shoulder all the time.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Looks like the hire only re-affirms the thoughts we have about the FO.

 

[Cheesebeef]

And again, he also tore it all down. So how can you give him positives for building it but ignore the fact that it was basically destroyed on his watch?

I think an argument could be made that once Ish took over, he really took the reins and was the driving force into driving this team into the ground. There were definite issues with James Jones and it was beyond time for a new voice to come in, but this latest hire only reinforces that Ish isnt looking for a fresh voice… he looking for a proxy and this is such a seemingly stunningly stupid hire, that it only buttresses an argument that the destruction of the team lays more at the feet of Ish than JJ.

And even if none of that is the case, JJ still took over what was an NBA league joke for a decade and within a couple years made them a title contender/playoff contender. So while he gets demerits and rightfully got fired for the last 2.5 years, he does have experience getting this team out of jokedom and that alone separates him Gregory, IMO.

And even if you think none of that separates Gregory from Jones, all Gregory has on his resume is either mediocrity or straight up failure… at a lower level.

Bottom line for me… Jones needed to go AND it appears Ish elevated someone even less qualified to take his place.

 

[Hoop Head]

How much dysfunction does Ish need to show people before they'll believe that he's the biggest problem here?

I don't believe anyone here thinks Ishbia is free of blame. He is the owner and the one constant that isn't changing. Unlike Sarver, he's not in it for the money so the odds of him stepping away entirely are virtually nil. We can harp over how much of a problem Ish is repeatedly or we can hope for someone in his inner circle to right the ship. I'm in the latter group.

I'm not a Cardinals fan but I imagine it's not too different there. You all recognize the shortcomings of the Bidwill's and hope for the best in spite of their presence.

 

[Chaplin]

Welp, not much more to say if you aren't willing to put blame on JJ for the bad things, but praise him for all the good. It's a no-lose situation for him and a no-win situation for Ishbia, who isn't without blame regardless.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Welp, not much more to say if you aren't willing to put blame on JJ for the bad things, but praise him for all the good.

First falsely identifying Chris as an apologist and now this comment? Come on man… the above is a total distortion of what’s being argued. But if this is the tact you’re going to continue to take, then you’re right… there’s not much more to say here.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

We can harp over how much of a problem Ish is repeatedly or we can hope for someone in his inner circle to right the ship. I'm in the latter group.

Expecting a yes man who literally used the word alignment 23 times in a 37 minute press conference to be an independent voice and agent for change is incredibly hopeful.

I'm not a Cardinals fan but I imagine it's not too different there. You all recognize the shortcomings of the Bidwill's and hope for the best in spite of their presence.

We stick with our crappy teams out of a silly sense of dedication to organizations that don't give a rip about us. We all hope for the best, but I at least try not to let that cloud my opinion on the inner workings of the team. Hope (especially with a franchise as terrible as the Cards) is a vector for disappointment.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Welp, not much more to say if you aren't willing to put blame on JJ for the bad things, but praise him for all the good. It's a no-lose situation for him and a no-win situation for Ishbia, who isn't without blame regardless.

I know I can praise Jones for many things! He was directly responsible for bringing in Monty, who changed the face of the organization, and Chris Paul, who changed the culture. Jones quickly turned us from a laughingstock to 2 games from a ring, and all of this happened pre Ish.

I'm far less clear about what happened in terms of decision making in the FO after Ish bought the team, and how much control Jones had. If Jones were the driving force behind the Durant/Beal acquisitions, and he were solely responsible for one of the most embarrassing seasons in NBA history (not even making the playoffs with the most expensive roster ever assembled), don't you think he should have been fired?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

First falsely identifying Chris as an apologist and now this comment? Come on man… the above is a total distortion of what’s being argued. But if this is the tact you’re going to continue to take, then you’re right… there’s not much more to say here.

Classic Chap. Gotta take these comments with a giant grain of salt.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

All i can say is...We're in a world of Ish. No team has ever been successful when the owner is making all the roster decisions.

 

[Chaplin]

First falsely identifying Chris as an apologist and now this comment? Come on man… the above is a total distortion of what’s being argued. But if this is the tact you’re going to continue to take, then you’re right… there’s not much more to say here.

I've never seen a writer who is so unwilling to have a conversation.

There is no distortion. I asked a simple question about whether there is much difference between a guy who, yes, built a championship team, but even more quickly, tore it down, and a guy with not a lot of experience.

With JJ or with Gregory, I don't see much of a difference in our future outlook. That's the point. If you want to argue that the better option was that JJ should have just stayed GM then hire Gregory, then that's something to talk about. But using the fact that he "built" a championship team as the reason why he's better is disingenuous.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

There is no distortion. I asked a simple question about whether there is much difference between a guy who, yes, built a championship team, but even more quickly, tore it down, and a guy with not a lot of experience.

If you think these two things are the same, I don't know what to tell you.

With JJ or with Gregory, I don't see much of a difference in our future outlook. That's the point.

Yeah, I disagree with you here, if that's ok.

If you want to argue that the better option was that JJ should have just stayed GM then hire Gregory, then that's something to talk about.

It's true, but it's not really what I wanted anyway. We need a fresh voice/new blood. Neither Jones nor Gregory accomplishes that goal.

But using the fact that he "built" a championship team as the reason why he's better is disingenuous.

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[Chaplin]

It's true, but it's not really what I wanted anyway. We need a fresh voice/new blood. Neither Jones nor Gregory accomplishes that goal.

What's missing in this whole exchange is that we essentially agree on this point.