Suns Off Season Changes for 2025-26

[ASUCHRIS]

Does he want to trade Booker? To me any competent GM would. It wouldn't surprise me if Ishbia talked to a couple outside candidates and that is what they suggested would be the best move, and that led to this hire.

Other than sheer leprechaun level luck I don't see how the Suns don't suck for at least the next 5 years.

Yeah - we're at a critical junction to try and salvage something without being absolute ass the next 5 years. I think any great GM would get some real assets for both Booker and Durant, and then hopefully things come together faster than expected. I just don't know how a guy like Gregory is expected to do this successfully.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Does he want to trade Booker? To me any competent GM would. It wouldn't surprise me if Ishbia talked to a couple outside candidates and that is what they suggested would be the best move, and that led to this hire.

I could def could see where this scenario played out.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

jj is still the guy with the rolodex and contacts and experience and respect around the league - idk who gregory is - nobody does - this was ish's hire that much is unquestionable - not up for debate like who made what trade - ish had the whole world to choose from

there's absolutely nothing to suggest gregory is some sort of savant - logic sways on the other side - logic suggests ish still thinks he's smarter than he is and doesn't want outside influences - damn right im not feeling this ish - pride cometh before the fall be we already done fell - we traded every ladder we have and the solution is gregory - got it

i think jj should be gone and ish should go back to doing whatever he was successful at - i think you hire jerry freakin colangelo to come in and be an ACTUAL advisor - to find a gm and coach that fits with ish:s vision - we'll miss out on opportunities never even thought of because we have a mortgage guy and some dude nobody ever heard of doing all the heavy lifting

what a cruel world - get the billionaire big spender one year two years too late - i swear everything we wish for bites us in the ass - but im not less of a fan for calling a gregory a gregory - who's like 2 notches below a jag

i kept watching all year - think i may have tapped out the last five or so games but come on - main stayed till the end and kept the game threads afloat - he should probably be in some sorta fan hof for that

anyways - this was a ish hire - you can take that ish however you want - sorry if it pisses some off - glad you have the optimism - but imma stay in my lane

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

all that said - i don't think next year will be as hard to watch - that was crazy bad - like worst ever bad

 

[Superbone]

all that said - i don't think next year will be as hard to watch - that was crazy bad - like worst ever bad

It would be very tough to be worse to watch and I'm sure our expectations will be way down after what we just experienced.

 

[Chaplin]

Chap, in case you hadn't noticed, this is a message board. We discuss what is happening real time about what's happening in the world.

You're more than welcome to take the position of wait and see, but that doesn't add much to the conversation. I have no motivation to convince you or anyone else out of anything, but let's at least try to be honest about what is going on here.

While you're first paragraph is correct, how does your 2nd one inspire further conversation with you?

Without overtly saying it, you're implying that my opinion is worthless to this discussion. I think "wait and see" is perfectly relevant side to this argument, no matter how much you disagree with it.

 

[Chaplin]

Also - hiring Gregory by no means ensures failure, and there is a chance he could succeed. I just don't think there is nearly enough evidence to have any confidence in that whatsoever.

If you were to look at a list of top 25 candidates to be a GM, do you think Gregory would be on any list other than Ishbias?

Of course not. But how is that relevant? Everyone has preconceived notions, and I'm not invested enough in this team in May 2025 to care all that much. It's put up or shut up here and we are still 2 months away until we can do ANYTHING of substance.

 

[clyde2tw]

Ishbia can have as many crazy ideas as he did, as GM JJ should have made better deals and more appropriate complementary moves to max out the roster potential. He failed at the task and ought take the blame, and replacing him with a new GM is necessary.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Ishbia can have as many crazy ideas as he did, as GM JJ should have made better deals and more appropriate complementary moves to max out the roster potential. He failed at the task and ought take the blame, and replacing him with a new GM is necessary.

I don’t believe anyone disagrees with this. Replacing JJ with someone with as dubious credentials as Gregory is the issue.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

This is a less than inspiring hire. Nothing in his resume is impressive. Nothing in his resume speaks to having had high level NBA mentors. Anyone who is excited about this hire can’t be so due to Gregory because I challenge anyone here to state (with a straight face) that they even ever heard of this guy - or considered him a legitimate candidate to run a freaking NBA franchise.

That said, we have no choice but to sit back and see if this is just a continuing aggregation of gawd awful decisions by this organization.

 

[Chaplin]

Again, Ishbia's MO, and maybe JJ as well, is that he always tries to go for the home run. This is a decidedly different decision from him, and is pretty much the most meh hire/signing he's had since he's been in Phoenix.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Again, Ishbia's MO, and maybe JJ as well, is that he always tries to go for the home run. This is a decidedly different decision from him, and is pretty much the most meh hire/signing he's had since he's been in Phoenix.

I do, TRULY, do appreciate people trying to find the silver lining here.

 

[Superbone]

I do, TRULY, do appreciate people trying to find the silver lining here.

Nobody here knows this guy. All we can do is wait and see.

 

[Mainstreet]

Nobody here know this guy. All we can do is wait and see.

I hope Mat Ishbia didn't make a big splash and is now content to take a leisurely swim.

 

[GatorAZ]

I have no interest in watching Devin Booker play on bad Suns teams. I’ve seen it before. Giving him an extension that eventually pays him $70m a year makes it nearly impossible to trade him down the road. Any smart GM that’s not hamstrung by ownership is trading him either this summer or at the deadline but you can’t extend him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Well this is not how I see it.

From the information I gleened yes Jones wanted a KD deal - we all did at the time - it was just about the cost. From what I know Jones was the one not wanting to trade Mikal.

As far as Beal - since Bartlestein's dad is his agent - I have a strong feeling that is where that move originated.

As far as Ayton, somebody wanted him gone and gone immediately. I don't really know who, but ultimately I put the blame on Ishbia since he has the final say. The ONLY deal available was with Portland. Maybe Jones was the one who threw in Camara, I have no idea honestly, but that is really the only problem I have with that deal.

I have no real proof, but my feeling is all 3 of these deals were spearheaded by Ishbia. I guess I feel that way because the KD deal was dead but Ishbia got on the phone the day the sale completed and just gave them whatever they wanted. Acting that impulsively in that situation makes me think he is the one pulling all the shots. Also the way he has defended the moves saying every team would want to trade rosters with the Suns etc, seems to me like he is taking the criticism personally - and that again suggests to me he is the one that made the moves. This latest move - after going through this whole song and dance at the press conference about how he didn't make the basketball decisions only to promote a clear lackey really makes me think he is just a liar.

I am not really giving Jones a pass because he has also publicly stated he does not like young players or draft picks - and that is a ridiculous statement for an NBA GM to make, so I am fine with him going.

What we do know is James Jones was the Suns GM when the above three trades, mentioned in bold, were made.

If you believe Mat Ishbia spearheaded these trades, that's fine. We all have opinions. However, who was responsible for the Suns free agents signings and trading for Nick Richards? Was that Mat Ishbia too?

In other words, does it turn on and off like a water faucet...

Admittedly, it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, but I still think James Jones was knee-deep in the decision-making process in all three moves, as well as Mat Ishbia.

Ultimately, Mikal was traded to the Nets. I didn't hear James Jones saying otherwise after that trade, or the other two trades.

Btw, I wasn't interested in trading for Durant at any cost.

 

[Chaplin]

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[BooksOrangePlanet]

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will the rockets even consider kd if they beat gs?

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

which playoff teams need a kd?

 

[Hoop Head]

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I would prefer the youth from Houston but I think I'd be ok with that if one of the players going to Utah ends up here as well.

What 2025 pick is that also? I'd assume our own. In a way the 2027 pick might be better for us. Kicking the can on a surefire lotto pick is tough though.

 

[Cheesebeef]

will the rockets even consider kd if they beat gs?

I doubt it.

 

[Superbone]

will the rockets even consider kd if they beat gs?

If they want to go to the next level, they would. They are not getting past another round, I don't believe.

 

[Hoop Head]

If they want to go to the next level, they would. They are not getting past another round, I don't believe.

They're a 2 seed that is facing game 7 vs a play in team, even falling behind 1-3. They need a reliable scorer. They have little shot of advancing to the WCF this year. It'll be a fun series vs Minnesota for the physicality but they're going fishing in 5, maybe 6.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If they want to go to the next level, they would. They are not getting past another round, I don't believe.

Only problem is there’s no need for them to rush. They’re so young and already ahead of schedule WITH really good draft picks coming their way.

I’m also not sure why they want KD as much as other superstars might be on the market, who aren’t nearly as old or injury prone.

They are definitely the Suns best hope for a trading partner, but that doesn’t necessarily go both ways.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If they want to go to the next level, they would. They are not getting past another round, I don't believe.

They're still very young, I wouldn't make a big splash like a KD trade if I were them but it does seem to be what so many teams do when they come up short. If it were up to me, I'd maybe make a swap or two to try and upgrade a little but I wouldn't give away the farm for KD.