Brian Gregory entered his first season as Phoenix Suns general manager with plenty of skepticism attached to the job. He was branded by some as a “Michigan Guy” hire, a connection to owner Mat Ishbia that drew ridicule when the move was announced. One year later, that label looks a lot weaker.
The Suns’ front office had a brutal starting point. Gregory stepped in after the Kevin Durant trade and Bradley Beal buyout, then helped guide a surprise postseason berth. That alone put his first year in a far better light than most people expected.
One of the biggest pieces of that turnaround was Khaman Maluach. Gregory was part of the group that pushed for Maluach to be included in the Durant deal, and a year later the raw prospect was shut down in Las Vegas at Summer League so he can be ready for a sophomore breakout in The Valley next season.
There were other moves that have aged well, too. Taking Rasheer Fleming in the second round looks like a smart call right now, and the midseason decision to move on from Nick Richards also paid off.
Richards was an undersized center who was not helping the Suns win games, and once he was gone, Mark Williams had room to flourish while Maluach could see his own path opening up. Oso Ighodaro also benefited from that change, even if Gregory deserves only so much credit there.
The one move still hanging over the year is the trade for Williams and the extension that followed. Even so, Williams just posted the best season of his career, and a three-year, $38 million deal could wind up looking like a steal if he stays healthy.
For a first-time GM walking into a mess, Gregory has handled the job with a steady hand. The early returns have been smart and sensible, and the jury is still out on the Miles Bridges trade. Gregory’s first media availability went well, and if this is the direction the Suns keep going, he’ll be climbing even higher on this list a year from now.
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Miles Bridges Just Validated What Suns Fans Knew About This Team
After trading Kevin Durant in the 2025 offseason, the Suns still found a way to make the playoffs, with Devin Booker carrying the offense and Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green giving Phoenix real support around him. The run ended quickly with a first-round sweep by the defending champions, but the season still offered a clearer picture of a team that did not fall apart the way plenty of outsiders expected.
Miles Bridges has now added an outside voice to that internal belief, and his view of Phoenix is part of what makes the next chapter interesting. He has been impressed enough by what he has seen to sound genuinely optimistic about joining the group for 2026-27, a sign that the Suns' identity may be stronger than the post-Durant skepticism suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Gregory Just Put Massive Pressure On The Suns With Bridges
Miles Bridges met the media as a new Suns player, and the arrival came with the kind of language that immediately raises the stakes. General manager Brian Gregory framed Bridges as a fit for what Phoenix wants to be, a move that signals the front office is not treating this as a simple talent grab but as a piece meant to slide into a much bigger plan.
The problem with declaring a perfect fit in July is that the roster still has to prove it on the floor. Bridges brings a different look to a group that already has players competing for the same minutes, and the way he meshes with the current frontcourt and the rest of the rotation will shape whether this feels like a clean upgrade or the start of a more complicated adjustment for Phoenix. [Read more 🡒]