The Phoenix Suns surprised everybody by making the playoffs last season, and they did so with a first year head coach in Jordan Ott who quickly built a defensive identity.
As great as his maiden campaign was in The Valley, and he deserves a ton of credit for getting a star like Devin Booker and veterans and young players alike onside, there is a clear winner on the person who has had the best 12 months with the franchise.
Brian Gregory has not put a foot wrong since becoming General Manager
That's right, the guy with no prior experience in a GM role who most thought got the job from owner Mat Ishbia thanks to their Michigan ties, has actually been excellent at the job. You could argue the Kevin Durant trade was going to happen even before Gregory was announced, but if that had gone badly he would have copped a lot of the blame.
So by that same logic he gets credit for navigating away from the star and landing Dillon Brooks in the process, while stretching-and-waiving Bradley Beal was a painful but necessary step to take (and they could end up on the right side of a situation like that in the coming weeks).
Bringing back Jordan Goodwin and platforming Collin Gillespie were also excellent decisions, with both now back in The Valley long-term thanks to their extensions.
Then there was the decision to move up in the draft to select Koa Peat. It is too early to tell if that was the correct move to make, but he said all of the right things in his introductory press conference and the fanbase approves of the move which is the best case scenario at this point.
About the only move you could ding Gregory for was the trade for center Mark Williams, not because of his productivity last season, but rather doing the deal knowing they would likely have to extend him. The franchise did that just recently, and although guaranteeing the $38 million owed to him over three years was surprising, it represented a team-friendly contract and so another win for Gregory.
The Suns looked dead and buried after the failed Durant decision, and bringing in Gregory to pick up the pieces hardly inspired confidence either.
But it is clear he is aligned with both Ishbia and head coach Jordan Ott, and although he is playing with house money right now and tougher days are surely ahead, Gregory's first 12 months with the franchise have been an overwhelming success.
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