ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Thursday that the Phoenix Suns named Brian Gregory as the team's new general manager. James Jones, who previously held that role, will now serve as a senior advisor to the organization.
Phoenix's season ended over two weeks ago without a spot in the Play-In Tournament, a huge disappointment. The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer shortly after, marking the third consecutive year they dismissed their head coach.
There was speculation that Jones' time with Phoenix would come to a close, as his contract expires in June. However, NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week that Jones was acting as the point person for the Suns' head coach search. That led fans to believe that Jones would still be with the organization, even if it meant in a different role. Phoenix confirmed that.
Suns promote Brian Gregory to general manager
Stein reported on Wednesday that Gregory was an "emerging option" for Phoenix, rather than the Suns making an outside hire.
Gregory spent 20-plus seasons as a collegiate coach before joining Phoenix's front office two years ago. As Stein wrote, Gregory helped the Suns with their "draft strategy," playing a significant role in the team selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro last June.
Mat Ishbia has known Gregory for a long time, dating back to their time together at Michigan State. The new Suns GM was an assistant coach on Tom Izzo's staff when the Spartans won the national championship in 2000. Ishbia was on that team.
Ishbia took accountability for the Suns' dismal 2024-25 season, rather than proclaiming that 26 other teams in the league would gladly trade places with Phoenix, as he had after the 2023-24 season ended. The owner reiterated that the Suns would win championships (not just one), but yet again, his actions don't match his words.
The Suns' owner has yet to prove that he's capable of guiding Phoenix after taking over in 2023 and turning a contender into one of the worst rosters in the league. Fans had hoped that the result of this past season would inspire change, but instead, it appears that the Suns are still headed down the same path.
Nobody thought Phoenix would lure Bob Myers to the desert, but fans hoped for someone with more experience than Gregory, who has never run an NBA front office.