The Phoenix Suns had a productive opening night of the NBA Draft, as they added a pair of centers to a roster that desperately needs more size and an injection of youth. The general feeling is that Khaman Maluach falling to them in the 10th pick could be on of the steals of the draft, the 18-year-old Duke big man with all of the potential in the world.
There was less enthusiasm about the team trading for often-injured center Mark Williams - but if he can remain healthy in The Valley - then Phoenix just landed a 23-year-old wrecking-ball for next to nothing. Thursday night it was onto the second round, and the franchise again made a flurry of trades that ended up with them selecting both Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea.
This has been the best week of Mat Ishbia's tenure since buying team.
Owner Mat Ishbia has been given a tough time since buying the Suns, and for the most part rightly so. He might be willing to put his money where his mouth is - which could come in handy next summer - but his insistence on hiring former Michigan State alumni was bordering on the ridiculous. Both the General Manager (Brian Gregory) and new head coach (Jordan Ott) having attended that college.
But starting with the Kevin Durant trade - which was heavily criticized in the moment - and the Suns have done a nice job of trying to rebuild this roster while in the second apron. The belief is that Devin Booker is soon going to sign a two-year extension to his current contract, meaning he is at least willing to see how this re-tooling process goes.
Only with three youngsters coming into the fold - plus the returning Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro - this is teetering more towards an actual rebuild. Which fans seem to have no problem embracing - and if you take a quick look online - you'll see excitement for the Suns is higher than it has been for the past couple of seasons.
One thing you can say about Mat Ishbia is that this man is *going* to make moves https://t.co/0HoY8gbAYY
— Brendon Kleen (@BrendonKleen14) June 26, 2025
Ishbia and the front office deserve a lot of credit here for accepting they cut corners to try and build a contender quickly, and are now going back to square one to try and do things the right way. Given how unpopular Ishbia was - and still is - with certain sections of the fanbase, the fact they're buying into what Phoenix is doing right now at all is a minor miracle.
Getting rid of Bradley Beal would be the icing on the cake, but that appears a step too far for the moment. But in getting some players who can help back for Durant - and seemingly nailing both nights of the draft - there's suddenly reason to feel optimistic about the direction that the organization is heading again. Imagine thinking that one week ago.