When Matt Ishbia took over as owner of the Phoenix Suns in late 2022, he didn’t just buy a basketball team-he jumped into the deep end of NBA ownership with both feet. Most new owners take a backseat, learn the ropes, and ease their way into the decision-making process.
Ishbia? He hit the accelerator.
Just weeks after purchasing the team for a staggering $4 billion, Ishbia made his first headline-grabbing move: trading for Kevin Durant. It was bold, aggressive, and exactly the kind of swing-for-the-fences play that signaled a new era in Phoenix.
The Suns were 19-13 at the time, and the idea was simple-pair Durant with Devin Booker, and you’ve got a duo that could take over the Western Conference. On paper, it looked like a championship blueprint.
But basketball isn't played on paper.
Fast forward nearly three years, and the Durant experiment is over. The Suns managed just one playoff series win during his time in the Valley.
For all the hype and hope, the results were underwhelming. And Ishbia, to his credit, isn’t sugarcoating it.
“In retrospect, it wasn’t the right move,” he admitted on The Lowe Post. “I’m not one of those guys who’ll be like, ‘Let’s tear it down and spend seven years trying to build it back up.
Get picks in 2034 and figure it out.’ That’s not my personality.
But what I learned from it is that’s not how you win in any business, definitely not in the basketball business.”
That kind of honesty is rare from an owner, especially one who made such a high-profile gamble. But it also shows growth. Ishbia came in with a win-now mentality, and while the Durant trade didn’t deliver the title he envisioned, it taught him something arguably more valuable: patience matters, and so does fit.
Normally, a move like that-mortgaging depth and draft capital for a superstar who doesn’t push you over the top-sets a franchise back for years. But the Suns? They’ve rebounded in a way few expected.
Coming into this season, many pegged Phoenix as a team heading toward a reset. Without Durant and with questions surrounding their roster construction, the Suns were supposed to be navigating the bottom of the West. Instead, they’ve flipped the script.
At 30-19, they’re sixth in the Western Conference and very much in the playoff picture. What’s more impressive is that they’ve done it without Jalen Green for much of the season, showing resilience and depth that wasn’t there during the Durant era.
No, they’re not quite in the championship tier just yet. But they’re building something sustainable-and this time, it’s not built on flash. It’s built on smart moves, internal development, and a more measured approach from ownership.
Ishbia’s early tenure may be remembered for the Durant swing, but what comes next could define his legacy. He’s learned that winning in the NBA isn’t just about collecting stars-it’s about cohesion, timing, and making the right move, not just the biggest one.
The Suns are still chasing that elusive first title. But now, they’re doing it with a clearer vision, a more balanced roster, and a front office that’s learned from its missteps.
And if Ishbia continues to combine his passion with patience, Phoenix might just be on the verge of something special-again. Only this time, it might stick.