Suns Off Season Changes for 2025: Trades, Buyouts, GM, Coaches, etc.

[ASUCHRIS]

I am on both sides of the foregoing argument. I wish they had gone outside the organization to find a new GM. Keeping all of the same guys but just giving them new titles doesn't fill me with confidence at all, whichever one they decide to call "GM."

But yeah, believing that James Jones wasn't at minimum, fully in agreement with all of the stupidity is disingenuous at minimum. And there is plenty of evidence he drove much of it, even going back to before Ishbia was even the owner. To summarize that, JJ was not a good GM, at all.

And the upshot of what happens now is that with Jones as an "advisor," it seems highly likely that the personnel philosophy is likely to be the same as what got us in this mess. And it means Ishbia tacitly cannot admit he was wrong.

Let me be clear - I wasn't in favor of retaining Jones, and I think his time had passed here. I'm mostly pissed that we're in dire need of a serious resume to take care of our roster mess, and we hired a guy who is laughably qualified.

Brian Gregory resume:

College Coach - average to below average.

College Talent Evaluation - 20 years in college, coached 5 NBA players. Brian Roberts, backup PG is his best move.

What makes him the guy for the job? His NBA experience in totality is from last year June, and his position as "VP of Player Programming" is completely nebulous. The only thing you can even point to in terms of responsibility is the fact that he is getting at least partial credit for the Dunn/Oso picks. That's it.

You're not hiring him based on his performance in college. You're not hiring him for the next to nothing he's done in the NBA. So what is the most logical reasoning for this move?

This is a joke of a hire, and does nothing to quell the feeling that Ishbia is far too meddlesome.

Ishbia promised big changes in the FO this offseason, and that has turned into a reshuffling of the deck, with nobody getting fired, and the same cast back.

 

[Chaplin]

I guess the saving grace here is that Ishbia has always gone for the slam dunk -- KD, Beal, Big 3, Tyus Jones, Bud and Vogel, etc... And look where that's gotten us.

This is the exact opposite of a slam dunk.

 

[hcsilla]

You're not hiring him based on his performance in college. You're not hiring him for the next to nothing he's done in the NBA. So what is the most logical reasoning for this move?

That he was an assistant coach when Ishbia played for the Michigan State Spartans.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I guess the saving grace here is that Ishbia has always gone for the slam dunk -- KD, Beal, Big 3, Tyus Jones, Bud and Vogel, etc... And look where that's gotten us.

This is the exact opposite of a slam dunk.

yup. unfortunately, the opposite of a slam dunk is an airball. which is what this looks like.

 

[Superbone]

I love how many of you slam it before he's even had a day on the job. I'm willing to give him a chance. I can be critical later if I believe he's making bad decisions.

 

[Raindog]

I love how many of you slam it before he's even had a day on the job. I'm willing to give him a chance. I can be critical later if I believe he's making bad decisions.

Sure, that's fair. Best case scenario, maybe he turns out to be a scouting/personnel savant. He is really going to need to be to get us out of this mess in under 5 or 6 years.

But there is also a lot of grounds for skepticism because all the other clowns are being retained. I would have been a lot more comfortable if Jones and Bartelstein had been let go. At least it might have given the impression that Ishbia was dedicated to going in a new direction with a different philosophy, whether that was actually true or not.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I love how many of you slam it before he's even had a day on the job. I'm willing to give him a chance. I can be critical later if I believe he's making bad decisions.

the dude is completely unqualified for the job. that's not a slam. it's just a matter of fact. whether he surprises us or not is yet to be seen, but after a disastrous couple years, asking fans for patience in the face of what's already been mostly incompetence, and appears to be more of the same, is a bit of an ask.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I love how many of you slam it before he's even had a day on the job. I'm willing to give him a chance. I can be critical later if I believe he's making bad decisions.

he's not getting a chance - he's getting a huge payday to play fake gm - like when criminals put the strip club in some dum asses name - he's not drafting - he's not making any decisions - he's not even in the group chat - they'll call him and tell him what to do when they figure out the next move - ish wants a mulligan - that's what's happening - otherwise we would've hired an actual gm

 

[Superbone]

the dude is completely unqualified for the job. that's not a slam. it's just a matter of fact. whether he surprises us or not is yet to be seen, but after a disastrous couple years, asking fans for patience in the face of what's already been mostly incompetence, and appears to be more of the same, is a bit of an ask.

I can't argue with that.

 

[Superbone]

he's not getting a chance - he's getting a huge payday to play fake gm - like when criminals put the strip club in some dum asses name - he's not drafting - he's not making any decisions - he's not even in the group chat - they'll call him and tell him what to do when they figure out the next move - ish wants a mulligan - that's what's happening - otherwise we would've hired an actual gm

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Congrats.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Well...hopefully the Dbacks and the Cards do good, because this team is going to be in the gutter for a hot minute with this type of Ish.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Congrats.

it's the weed

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Brian Gregory: Everything you need to know about new Suns GM

The Phoenix Suns have officially hired Brian Gregory as general manager, reassigned GM James Jones and promoted a few front office execs.

gophnx.com

 

[BirdGangThing]

i don't think jj gets canned - if anything he gets moved to a new position - if ish-bia is to blame he doesn't want a disgruntled jj running around telling the rest of the nba why he doesn't have a job any longer

jj either stays as gm or gets a cushy gig with the org

weed gives me super powers

 

[Cheesebeef]

weed gives me super powers

You didn’t have to be Nostradamus to see this one coming.

 

[BirdGangThing]

You didn’t have to be Potsradamus to see this one coming.

ftfy

 

[Cheesebeef]

ftfy

Lol… I’m stealing that.

 

[GatorAZ]

Cash in!
.

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[clyde2tw]

First article links to the second which doesn't mention that he didn't want to do the KD deal.

He has overseen many issues here. From failing to provide depth at PF and C, failing to manage Ayton's extension and then bungling his trade, missing entirely on Jalen Smith over Haliburton, letting Crowder sit for half the season and tanking his value, his noted disdain for the draft, and that's just part of it until KD comes here. These things happened. Because the Suns got close makes no difference, IMO. They didn't get the job done and beyond that they had multiple chips fall their way to get there. Starting with Chris Paul asking to be traded to Phoenix. Good work, JJ! He isn't proactive, he's reactive and that has failed the team time and time again under his tenure.

JJ's biggest problem is the timing of roster moves besides the deals themselves. Crowder, Ayton, and even Nurk, he waited for their value sunk to bottom before finalling dealing them. And Camara, though with Yuta, Metu etc as his summer signing achievement, might not have gotten much playing time in anticipation, but he proved to be a great defender with excellent court awareness better than Dunn at their respective SL games.

 

[Cheesebeef]

JJ's biggest problem is the timing of roster moves besides the deals themselves. Crowder, Ayton, and even Nurk, he waited for their value sunk to bottom before finalling dealing them. And Camara, though with Yuta, Metu etc as his summer signing achievement, might not have gotten much playing time in anticipation, but he proved to be a great defender with excellent court awareness better than Dunn at their respective SL games.

And to a certain extent, I fear they’re going to do the same thing with Booker. The time to trade him is now, with two years on his deal, before he signs the mega-Max, we totally stink for a couple years making people question his worth, especially at age 30 and by that time demands a trade to only certain squads.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's fairly well known that Jones refused to trade both Bridges and Johnson for Durant. Then, Ish buys the team, and the next day they trade for Durant.

What do you think changed, Mainstreet? Do you think Jones had a sudden change of heart?

BASED ON WHAT?!?

No, I don't think James Jones had a change of heart. IMO, he got what he wanted when the Suns traded for Kevin Durant.

Remember, Jae Crowder sat at home during the season while the Suns desperately needed a power forward and had all their assets, including expiring contracts.

The Suns could have made other trades to improve the team while they struggled, yet they didn't. Why...

What was James Jones waiting for as the trade deadline approached?

IMO, he was waiting for the new owner to approve the trade for Durant, which is exactly what happened.

This does not minimize Mat Ishbia's role in approving the trade. It takes two to tango.

 

[Mainstreet]

People talk?

"Gregory was hired by Phoenix as the new vice president of player programming last June, a part of the new front office hires that included assistant general manager Matt Tellem. This past season was Gregory's first in not only an NBA front office but the league in general."

Gregory had nothing to do with Camara. Your speculation that Jones had nothing to do with drafting Camara is hilarious.

Is this the same James Jones that traded a first round pick for Landry Shamet and passed on drafting Tyrese Haliburton?

I do believe someone was whispering in James Jones ear to draft Toumani Camara.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The press should annihilate Ishbia for this. It’s an insult to already injured Suns fans.

 

[Mainstreet]

I guess the hope would be, Gregory is keeping the GM seat warm for someone else because the Suns want to make a coaching hire sooner rather than later and they want to move James Jones to the sideline.

The fear would be, Mat Ishbia wants to own and GM the Suns at the same time as Jerry Colangelo once tried.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I guess the hope would be, Gregory is keeping the GM seat warm for someone else because the Suns want to make a coaching hire sooner rather than later and they want to move James Jones to the sideline.

That would make very little sense also. The GM is the person who should be empowered to find the new head coach. The GM should be the one with the Vision for coach, style and players. Picking a coach and then saddling him with a GM who didn’t pick him is bassackwards.