Phoenix Suns: Complete History of General Managers
Bryan Colangelo became General Manager of the Suns in 1995, while his father focused on the ownership side of the team. Bryan served as the team’s GM from 1995 until his resignation in February of 2006. During his tenure, Colangelo’s Suns made the playoffs nine times while missing the playoffs just twice.
Colangelo drew wide praise from around the league after a number of transactions, including drafting Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire. Marion and Stoudemire helped the Suns find success in the early 2000’s, but even with the success Colangelo found criticism when he traded Jason Kidd to the New Jersey Nets for Stephon Marbury.
He soon corrected the mistake when he traded Marbury and Penny Hardaway to the New York Knicks for several player contracts; with the additional salary cap space from the trade, Colangelo was able to sign Steve Nash back from the Dallas Mavericks in 2004.
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Nash would go on to win back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player awards and lead the Suns to a top seeded playoff spot in 2004-2005. Because of the signing of Nash, Colangelo won the 2005 NBA Executive of the Year Award.
Colangelo was also a part of bringing Boris Diaw to the Suns.
While working in the Suns’ front office, Bryan served as President of Phoenix Arena Sports, who owned the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and operated the Phoenix Mercury. During Colangelo’s time as president the Rattlers won the Arena Football League Championship twice and the Mercury played in the WNBA finals in 1998. Colangelo won AFL Executive of the Year in 1993 for his work with the Rattlers.
In 2006, two years after Jerry Colangelo sold the team, Bryan saw an opportunity with the Toronto Raptors. In February of 2006 Colangelo, resigned from the Suns, and the next day was named President and General Manager of the Raptors.
Bryan stayed with the Raptors until 2013, when he stepped down and began freelance scouting and consulting for the NBA. In 2016, Bryan was hired as the President of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Philadelphia 76ers.
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