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Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (45) spoke to reporters on Thursday after the team's season in which he described as a 'failure.' The Suns failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-2020 season after going 36-46 this year. "Embarrassing season, right?" said Ishbia. "Disappointing. Awful. I watch every game like all you guys do and no one's proud of it, no one's happy with it, from me, to the front office, to the coaches and players, to the marketing executives to the security guards. It was a failure."
The owner even fired back at ESPN's Stephen A. Smith after the TV personality said, "Mat Ishbia needs to understand that, right now, you are on the verge of being recognised as the worst owner in the history of basketball." The Suns recently fired former NBA champion head coach Mike Budenholzer after just one season. It was no secret that Budenholzer didn't mesh well with his new team.
A report came out where Suns player Bradley Beal, who signed a $250 million extension with the Suns in March, told Budenholzer, "Don't ever disrespect me like that. Don't ever tell me to play like another player" after the coach said he needs to play more like Jrue Holliday, who is known around the league for his defence. Then after finishing the final 10 games of the season with nine losses, Ishbia had enough. "I want to put a team out there on the court that everyone is proud of," said Ishbia. "It has to have an identity - an identity similar to Phoenix. Some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that."
Phoenix will have to rebuild around their 28-year-old star in Devin Booker as veteran Kevin Durant looks to be on the move and possibly Beal as well, who has been a complete flop for a team that thought he would complete a "Big 3" with the duo just mentioned. Booker has spent his entire career with the Suns since they drafted him 13th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and currently has three years left on his four-year, $220.4 million deal. Phoenix could've had the ninth overall pick in this year's draft but traded it to the Houston Rockets. However, they will have the 29th overall in the first round and 53rd overall in the second round.
