If there is one area where Phoenix Suns' owner Mat Ishbia has truly excelled since buying the franchise (alongside the WNBA's Mercury), then it is his ability to spend money no matter what. It's a brilliant departure from the Robert Sarver era, but that may end, with Ishbia himself recently revealing that his mortgage company, United Wholesale Mortgage, had lost over $600 million. Ouch.
Could this impact Phoenix's future when it comes to spending? Fans sure hope not.
Ishbia's stance on spending may change in coming years
This is bad news for the Suns, who recently extended Dillon Brooks to the tune of three years and $73 million and will be paying Devin Booker over a quarter of a billion dollars between now and the end of the decade. New recruit Miles Bridges is rumored to be looking for an extension of his own when the opportunity arises.
Ishbia has done a brilliant job of lowering concession prices in the arena for fans and ensuring that you can tune in to watch any Suns game in The Valley.
These were admirable decisions that firmly got the fanbase excited, but how willing will he be to part with his money now that he is losing it at an alarming rate? The elephant in the room at this point is the fact that the franchise is once again flirting with the idea of getting into second apron territory thanks to all their spending.
That was acceptable when Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were in town and the idea of winning at least existed.
But the organization promised to take a long-term approach to roster building after they were moved; only right now, it looks like they're going to spend similar money on a group that has a clear ceiling. Making the playoffs as they did last season felt like a best-case scenario, and it was a feel-good story.
That is now the minimum requirement heading into 2026-27, and the franchise doesn't have the allure of Durant to sell jerseys and tickets and make sure national eyes are constantly on the team. Booker is capable of doing a lot of this, but from a popularity standpoint, he does not come close to the often erratic persona of his former teammate.
Booker can't waste remainder of prime on franchise that won't spend
We recently put forward the idea that Booker is entering the Damian Lillard phase of his career. We did not think that would include a frugal owner, as the Portland Trail Blazers have with Tom Dundon, but a loss such as this one will surely have Ishbia counting his dollars in the future. That's not what anyone wants to hear right now.
If Ishbia makes moves to save money rather than try to win a championship (a goal he has said before that he will spend whatever it takes to make happen), then Booker will need to reconsider his future in Phoenix. All this because of a takeover gone wrong away from the basketball court.
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