The Phoenix Suns have already gotten busy this offseason, with owner Mat Ishbia wasting no time in reshuffling his front office and making Brian Gregory the new General Manager. What Gregory lacks in experience - and he has basically none in this area - he more than makes up for in sharing an alma mater with Ishbia.
Both were at Michigan State, which also at least partly explains why Cleveland Cavaliers' assistant coach Jordan Ott is the new head coach in The Valley after an extensive search. This also proves how Ishbia values guys he has a shared college experience of sorts with, even if Ishbia himself has claimed to have never met or been around Ott prior to the hiring.
Gregory simply cannot mess up his first big decision as GM.
While the head coach search wasn't on Gregory's shoulders alone - even Devin Booker had been drafted in to get a feel for the two finalists in Ott and Johnnie Bryant - the next issue the franchise face is one he will have a much greater hand in. Namely what to do with Kevin Durant, with many expecting the 36-year-old to be dealt this summer.
The latest rumors on that do not paint a great picture for Gregory - as although you would assume Durant would be in high demand given his track record as a playoff closer - the reality is that right now the asking price for his services is dropping. In some ways that is understandable - there's a lot of miles and injury history on that body - but Gregory absolutely has to get this trade right.
If he sells too low on a player who then goes on to prove he still has something left in the tank in the postseason, it is going to reflect very badly on him. The league might also be waiting to see what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that doesn't mean Gregory shouldn't be working the phones to try and find a suitable deal for Durant.
Also working against him here is the fact that Ishbia has said in the past that he would work with Durant to find a suitable trade for him as well as the Suns. What that means is he's not going to be shipped off to the Washington Wizards or Charlotte Hornets in the night. Which also explains why the asking price is lowered, because Durant has some say in his next destination.
Gregory also needs to ensure that the package he gets back for the star doesn't underwhelm and turn the fanbase against him. You need only look at the Deandre Ayton deal to remind yourself that what fans think a player is worth is rarely what they actually end up going for, but Durant is at least in a different class entirely to Ayton to this day.
But if the franchise don't get enough picks back or the kind of young talent to give The Valley hope, then it will also be seen as the wrong move to make. One that could see Booker run out of patience with the only organization he has ever known. Plenty of pressure on Gregory to get this one right then, as it could define his time as General Manager in Phoenix, or else cut it very short indeed.