After embarrassing high-priced failure, Suns owner Mat Ishbia begins process of franchise reset

PHOENIX (AP) - Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia was sitting in his usual spot courtside back in January when he came to a startling yet unmistakable conclusion.

He had a strong dislike for the high-priced basketball product his leadership had put on the court.

Sure, there were some talented players on the team like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but there was no joy. There was no passion. There was no identity.

And he was the man responsible for it.

"Embarrassing season, right?" Ishbia said. “Disappointing. Awful. I watch every game like all you guys do and no one’s proud of it, no one’s happy with it, from me, to the front office, to the coaches and players, to the marketing executives to the security guards.

"It was a failure."

Ishbia’s candid remarks came in a press conference on Thursday following arguably the most disappointing season in the franchise’s history, which dates to 1968. The Suns had a star-studded roster that included the All-Star trio of Durant, Booker and Beal, yet finished with a 36-46 record and missed the postseason.

Even more than the losing, Ishbia was most disappointed in the team’s effort. The Suns were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA and often got blown out by the league’s elite.

"I want to put a team out there on the court that everyone is proud of," Ishbia said. "It has to have an identity - an identity similar to Phoenix. Some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven’t had that.”

Ishbia and the Suns have already made one big change, firing coach Mike Budenholzer just hours after Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Sacramento Kings. It figures to be one of several seismic changes for a team that has nosedived since Ishbia bought the franchise for roughly $4 billion in 2023.

The confident 45-year-old admits he didn’t do a good job of setting the team’s on-court foundation two years ago, approving moves that sometimes seemed like the Suns were building a fantasy basketball team instead of one trying to win games in real life.

Ishbia was a 5-foot-10 walk-on at Michigan State in college, playing a minor role in helping the Spartans win the 2000 national championship. He said the lessons he learned under legendary Tom Izzo need to better translate to what he’s doing with the Suns.

"I’m no talent, all heart, that’s my life," Ishbia said. "I will just outwork everyone. I’m going to have a coach, a front office and players that the Phoenix community will love."

Now comes the hard part - actually making it happen.

Two of the Suns’ lead front office personnel - CEO Josh Bartelstein and general manager James Jones - were at Thursday’s press conference, suggesting they’ll have at least some sort of role with the franchise going forward. Ishbia has also been adamant that the Suns won’t be trading Booker, a four-time All-Star who has spent all 10 of his NBA seasons in the desert.

"He's the franchise player, he's done amazing things," Ishbia said. "I speak with him and we're very aligned with what we want to do. His mission and my mission are very similar - let's bring a championship to Phoenix."

Otherwise, anything seems possible.

The 36-year-old Durant is under contract for next season, but also represents the one valuable trade chip the Suns could deal. The 15-time All-Star just finished another phenomenal year, averaging 26.6 points, and would be an attractive addition for a contender.

The situation for the 31-year-old Beal is much different. The three-time All-Star has two more years on a contract that pays him more than $50 million annually, but his production last season didn’t come close to matching that salary. Unloading him figures to be tricky.

Before those decisions are made, the Suns have to find a coach, which will be their fourth in four seasons.

After two years of winning press conferences, Ishbia is ready to start winning games.

"We’ve got to get the next hire right," Ishbia said. "And we will."