1. Mat Ishbia
There was so much hype around the Suns and Mat Ishbia after the purchase of the franchise was finalized. Ishbia quickly made his presence known by executing a trade for Durant, which was a decent trade. The team needed another go-to scorer other than Booker, which is why acquiring him was logical.
But it all went down the drain after they traded for Beal, which, quite frankly, I wasn't a fan of. They already had Booker as their star shooting guard, but trading for the former Washington Wizards star was a head-scratcher.
The Suns have $194M committed to these seven players next season. The 2nd apron is $189.5M.
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 29, 2024
After this year's draft, they will not own their own 1st or 2nd-round pick until 2031. They owe Bradley Beal $161M over the next three seasons.
Untenable would be putting it lightly. pic.twitter.com/hADtzXuJrL
Having two stars who play similar positions and are both ball-reliant was already a questionable move. Many claim that the trade was heavily influenced by Ishbia, who has now seen the consequences of his transactions. The trades that the owner made to acquire the stars also required the organization to give up their future.
The Suns now have no first-round picks from 2025-2030 and no second-round picks from 2024-2030. They now owe their Big 3 at least $50 million each for next season. With the salary the team will be giving their stars, there isn't enough room to sign quality role players to have balance.
Some sources say Ishbia had no clue what he was doing when he made the transactions. His "win-now" plan was admirable, but his methods weren't effective. Before his arrival, the Suns had an organic approach to their title aspirations, with the signing of Chris Paul as the only exception. The team developed a natural chemistry with their homegrown talent. But they couldn't escape the "new owner syndrome" as soon as Ishbia stepped foot.
""It’s like looney tunes around here. It’s felt unstable since (Ishbia) arrived. He’s a good guy and everything, I think, but he’s just very involved. Too involved. I know he played (college basketball at Michigan State), but I’d venture to say he has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to basketball. Yet he’s making a lot of the big decisions.""Anonymous Suns source
A Suns source says Mat Ishbia ‘has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to basketball’
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 29, 2024
“It’s like looney tunes around here. It’s felt unstable since (Ishbia) arrived. He’s a good guy and everything, I think, but he’s just very involved. Too involved. I know he played (college… pic.twitter.com/hajQarRc7h
Owners having championship desires are always welcomed by fans. Unfortunately for the Suns, the new owner failed to analyze the long-term repercussions of what he did.