Suns Off Season Changes for 2025-26

[Mainstreet]

The only way it made sense to me was if somehow they knew that Jrue's body was breaking down.

It's kind of ironic with Lillard getting injured.

 

[GatorAZ]

+1000
JJ was a disaster as GM.

Not even close. We’ve had far worse GM’s. Up until the point Ishbia took over we were a respectable squad.

 

[Hoop Head]

Not even close. We’ve had far worse GM’s. Up until the point Ishbia took over we were a respectable squad.

I think we were on the down swing before Ishbia came in as the Crowder stuff had been going on and became untenable.

JJ was slightly better than McD and definitely an improvement over the Blanks/Babby pairing but those aren't high bars to clear. I'd trust almost everyone on this board over Blanks/Babby and McD made a number of boneheaded moves as well. I'd say half the board would make a better GM than McD. JJ is probably somewhere between those regimes on his own but does deserve credit because he had good people around him that kept him from tripping over his own 2 feet. How much say he had in getting the competent cast around him is anyone's guess but that was his saving grace and makes him better than McD.

 

[Phrazbit]

Not even close. We’ve had far worse GM’s. Up until the point Ishbia took over we were a respectable squad.

I'm with you. I don't get the level of hate at all. Was it time to move on at this point? Absolutely. He either was giving awful advice or he wasn't being listened to, either way, he had to go.

He took over a team that, through years of failure, had some good young players but was terrible on the court, and rapidly turned them into a title contender... a position they held, without sacrificing their future or their cap position. Ishbia took over and within a day our cap position was a nightmare and our future was leveraged as bad as any team has ever been... and the team got dramatically worse.

I suspect over the next decade the sentiment towards JJ will change dramatically.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I'm with you. I don't get the level of hate at all. Was it time to move on at this point? Absolutely. He either was giving awful advice or he wasn't being listened to, either way, he had to go.

He took over a team that, through years of failure, had some good young players but was terrible on the court, and rapidly turned them into a title contender... a position they held, without sacrificing their future or their cap position. Ishbia took over and within a day our cap position was a nightmare and our future was leveraged as bad as any team has ever been... and the team got dramatically worse.

I suspect over the next decade the sentiment towards JJ will change dramatically.

Why are the only two choices ones that absolve him of any blame? There’s the third choice - he exercised his own decisionmaking. And even if he didn’t, if he wasn’t strung enough in his convictions and ability to persuade those around him to do the right thing, that’s another kind of failure. One that cannot exist in a leader.

 

[Mainstreet]

Briefly, some key positive moves by James Jones were adding Chris Paul, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and Dario Saric.

Looking at the flip side, passing on Haliburton, the Durant trade, Beal trade, Ayton trade, the cost of trading Nurkic trade were all bad moves especially in retrospect.

Extending Allen and O'Neale are pending, but with the CBA, it doesn't look good unless the Suns can convert at least one contract into an asset to fill a need.

There is much more, but I'm pushed for time.

 

[Phrazbit]

Why are the only two choices ones that absolve him of any blame? There’s the third choice - he exercised his own decisionmaking. And even if he didn’t, if he wasn’t strung enough in his convictions and ability to persuade those around him to do the right thing, that’s another kind of failure. One that cannot exist in a leader.

I’m not absolving of any blame, he certainly made some mistakes, passing on Haliburton being the worst, but I think Ishbia has been the de facto GM since he bought the team and everyone else has been, at most, a voice.

Like I said, at this point, he had to go cause he was either giving bad advice or he wasn’t being listened to.

 

[GatorAZ]

Why are the only two choices ones that absolve him of any blame? There’s the third choice - he exercised his own decisionmaking. And even if he didn’t, if he wasn’t strung enough in his convictions and ability to persuade those around him to do the right thing, that’s another kind of failure. One that cannot exist in a leader.

The franchise’s team building philosophy completely changed the day Ishbia took over. That’s not a coincidence.

 

[GatorAZ]

Briefly, some key positive moves by James Jones were adding Chris Paul, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and Dario Saric.

Looking at the flip side, passing on Haliburton, the Durant trade, Beal trade, Ayton trade, the cost of trading Nurkic trade were all bad moves especially in retrospect.

Extending Allen and O'Neale are pending, but with the CBA, it doesn't look good unless the Suns can convert at least one contract into an asset to fill a need.

There is much more, but I'm pushed for time.

Also Rubio and Oubre who were solid gap year contributors and eventually became salary in the CP3 trade. The 2020 draft will always be JJ’s ruination. I will always believe they were tired of DA after the suspension and thought Jalen Smith would eventually be his replacement.

 

[Mainstreet]

Also Rubio and Oubre who were solid gap year contributors and eventually became salary in the CP3 trade. The 2020 draft will always be JJ’s ruination. I will always believe they were tired of DA after the suspension and thought Jalen Smith would eventually be his replacement.

Unfortunately, except for a brief stretch where Kevin Young coached the team, the Suns were intent on playing Jalen Smith at power forward.

Center was his best position at the time.

 

[Yuma]

Wether this "Alignment" works, so far it looks like everyone is on the same page. That's why the Kuminga thing is weird. Kuminga is younger and athletic. So far Kuminga doesn't seem like an aggressive defender as they are preaching for everyone. I guess Brea is kinda a mix, too. Brea is younger, skilled in shooting, but not necessarily athletic or aggressive defensively. Brea does have a dominant skill in shooting.

I guess the alignment thing isn't that strict. It does seem like they are trying to Align in general.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The franchise’s team building philosophy completely changed the day Ishbia took over. That’s not a coincidence.

Hmm, there might have been a penny pinching owner that preceded ishbia, but I can’t be certain . . .

What if that’s who jones was all along but he was constrained by sarver and let loose by ishbia? That’s a very real scenario.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Also Rubio and Oubre who were solid gap year contributors and eventually became salary in the CP3 trade. The 2020 draft will always be JJ’s ruination. I will always believe they were tired of DA after the suspension and thought Jalen Smith would eventually be his replacement.

A) oubre was because of a mistake. I don’t think I can credit jones for that.

B) they literally only played stix as a PF. That was their entire plan for him.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Unfortunately, except for a brief stretch where Kevin Young coached the team, the Suns were intent on playing Jalen Smith at power forward.

Center was his best position at the time.

Bingo


He also would’ve gotten creamed at the center position if he played there with any consistency. Wasn’t big enough.

 

[GatorAZ]

Hmm, there might have been a penny pinching owner that preceded ishbia, but I can’t be certain . . .

What if that’s who jones was all along but he was constrained by sarver and let loose by ishbia? That’s a very real scenario.

I’m going with a clear cut case of new owner syndrome based on the change in philosophy and the way Ishbia was arrogantly carrying himself to start his tenure. Doesn’t absolve JJ of precious mistakes.

 

[Phrazbit]

Hmm, there might have been a penny pinching owner that preceded ishbia, but I can’t be certain . . .

What if that’s who jones was all along but he was constrained by sarver and let loose by ishbia? That’s a very real scenario.

Ishbia has not been shy in the slightest about how involved he has been and in the press conferences after each big trade he has basically ran roughshod. From day one he has given every indication that he is running the show.

Sarver had vowed to spend into the luxury tax, granted he might have been full of it, but he'd been dipping into the coffers more already... I'm sure that was partly because the NBA had been a guaranteed profit for even the worst teams for at least a decade.

Also worth noting, Sarver was banned from any involvement with the team at the time... not that he couldn't find ways around that, but with a sale a near guarantee and Sarver not only heading out the door but having been actively barred from any meddling, I don't see any reason Jones would have been constrained from making that terrible trade on his own.

Sarver was a lousy owner for many reasons, cheap, meddling, terrible PR, terrible boss, terrible hires...

Ishbia is off to a pretty bad start... PR started great but it is certainly trending downward, he isn't cheap, he does have that going for him, but thus far he looks among the most meddlesome owners in the league and his hires have ranged from awful, to questionable, to confusing. His hiring guidlines seem to only have 2 qualifications... do you know Ishbia personally already and most importantly did you go to Michigan State.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Ishbia has not been shy in the slightest about how involved he has been and in the press conferences after each big trade he has basically ran roughshod. From day one he has given every indication that he is running the show.

Sarver had vowed to spend into the luxury tax, granted he might have been full of it, but he'd been dipping into the coffers more already... I'm sure that was partly because the NBA had been a guaranteed profit for even the worst teams for at least a decade.

Also worth noting, Sarver was banned from any involvement with the team at the time... not that he couldn't find ways around that, but with a sale a near guarantee and Sarver not only heading out the door but having been actively barred from any meddling, I don't see any reason Jones would have been constrained from making that terrible trade on his own.

Sarver was a lousy owner for many reasons, cheap, meddling, terrible PR, terrible boss, terrible hires...

Ishbia is off to a pretty bad start... PR started great but it is certainly trending downward, he isn't cheap, he does have that going for him, but thus far he looks among the most meddlesome owners in the league and his hires have ranged from awful, to questionable, to confusing. His hiring guidlines seem to only have 2 qualifications... do you know Ishbia personally already and most importantly did you go to Michigan State.

All of this is fair

 

[JCSunsfan]

I’m not absolving of any blame, he certainly made some mistakes, passing on Haliburton being the worst, but I think Ishbia has been the de facto GM since he bought the team and everyone else has been, at most, a voice.

Like I said, at this point, he had to go cause he was either giving bad advice or he wasn’t being listened to.

I don't think for a minute that JJ wasn't all in on the Durant trade. He negotiated it. Ishbia approved it. I doubt Sarver would have given the salary implications. What happened with the change in ownership is that we found out what JJ would be willing to do given nearly no money limitations. If you go back and read the interviews of Ish and JJ through this process it becomes very clear. They were close to a championship and they were willing to do anything to get there. The hardest moves in a rebuild are the lasts ones that produce a ring.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't think for a minute that JJ wasn't all in on the Durant trade. He negotiated it. Ishbia approved it. I doubt Sarver would have given the salary implications. What happened with the change in ownership is that we found out what JJ would be willing to do given nearly no money limitations. If you go back and read the interviews of Ish and JJ through this process it becomes very clear. They were close to a championship and they were willing to do anything to get there. The hardest moves in a rebuild are the lasts ones that produce a ring.

And I think it's far more likely that Isiah was in Mat's ear and talked him into overriding JJ's reluctance to include so many assets in the deal. Reports came out saying Thomas was being hired as the new GM (or President?) until the backlash led to Ishbia's weak denial about the possibility. JJ always wanted Durant but a giant overpay is a giant overpay and he was smart enough not to cave to the Nets wishlist IMO.

 

[Mainstreet]

Putting other issues aside, I think Sarver had learned to how to put together a good basketball team in the years before he was forced out.

IMO, James Jones needed the restraints of operating on a budget. That's how the Finals Suns was built, through the draft, solid trades and good free agent signings. Without these restraints, Jones was his own worst enemy.

I do think Sarver would have paid the luxury tax to keep the team they had built together.

 

[Yuma]

Basically, as bad as Sarver was as an owner, he ultimately got ousted for pulling down a guys pants and underwear, and other sophomoric behaviors. Sarver was punished by becoming a multi billionaire for selling the Suns. Hard to fell bad for him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Basically, as bad as Sarver was as an owner, he ultimately got ousted for pulling down a guys pants and underwear, and other sophomoric behaviors. Sarver was punished by becoming a multi billionaire for selling the Suns. Hard to fell bad for him.

I don't feel sorry for Sarver, but it's sad the Suns finally find the right formula for putting a team together and then it's tossed in the trash can.

 

[Yuma]

I don't feel sorry for Sarver, but it's sad the Suns finally find the right formula for putting a team together and then it's tossed in the trash can.

I feel like they are currently trying to assemble a team that will play a style that is currently successful in the league. It remains to be seen if the players they assembled can make the system work, but at least I feel they are assembling a team to support that type of system. Not like the hodge podge of players they cobbled together to support KD and Booker. No one knew what the team style was supposed to be. Then they kept hiring coaches with different visions to try and fix what they put together. So far they seem "aligned." we shall see.

 

[Mainstreet]

I feel like they are currently trying to assemble a team that will play a style that is currently successful in the league. It remains to be seen if the players they assembled can make the system work, but at least I feel they are assembling a team to support that type of system. Not like the hodge podge of players they cobbled together to support KD and Booker. No one knew what the team style was supposed to be. Then they kept hiring coaches with different visions to try and fix what they put together. So far they seem "aligned." we shall see.

I wish the Suns had gone with a GM who had NBA experience, but hopefully Gregory is a quick learner.

It bothers me the Suns didn't bring Maluach in for a workout before drafting him. I know there were time constraints because the Suns acquired the 10th pick late.

A couple of notes:

Fleming was one of the players I wanted pre-draft.

During interviews, Maluach and Brea have impressed me the most.

 

[Adrian]

Insider: Suns Won't Pursue This Potential Free Agent

The Phoenix Suns' roster could continue its massive transformation this summer.

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