LAS VEGAS – Phoenix Suns team owner Mat Ishbia certainly saw Chris Paul’s comments, too.
When promoting his new book, “Sixty-One: Life Lessons From Papa, On and Off The Court” in New York last month, Paul said he learned about the Suns trading him to the Washington Wizards in the Bradley Beal deal on a flight to the city, was surprised by the trade and implied Isiah Thomas had something to do with him being moved.
Ishbia and Thomas are close friends. Ishbia grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, a Detroit suburb, and Thomas led the Pistons to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.
“I realize that, you know, Mat and Isiah, I guess, just wanted to go in a different direction,” Paul said in The New York Times article.
In an interview Tuesday with The Republic, Ishbia addressed Paul’s comments.
“I’ve asked for advice from a lot of people, specifically Tom Izzo, Isiah Thomas, Mateen Cleaves, Charlie Bell,” Ishbia said, while in Las Vegas for NBA owners meetings. “I talked to a lot of people, but honestly, on this situation, not one of those people were consulted on this decision.”
In the Q&A, Ishbia also talked about filling out a roster on veteran minimum contracts, as the Suns are over the second tax apron of $182.5 million in player salaries, and whether the Suns are done making offseason moves going into the 2023-24 regular season. .
The Suns are reportedly ‘frontrunners’ to sign 7-foot free agent Bol Bol, who averaged a career-high 9.1 points last season for the Orlando Magic.
What was your reaction to Chris saying you and Isiah wanted to go in a different direction and that was part of the reason he got traded?
“That had nothing to do with the trade of Chris Paul. Chris Paul was a great part of our organization for years and years and we were lucky to have him and I wish him nothing but the best going forward.”
The Suns traded six second-round picks, four first-round pick swaps, Landry Shamet and Paul to Washington for Jordan Goodwin, Isaiah Todd and Beal.
“When decisions are made in the organization, (team president of basketball operations and GM) James Jones, myself, (CEO) Josh Bartelstein, (head coach) Frank Vogel, our executive team make decisions. Outside people don’t have any role in our decision-making process. They never have, they never will. I’ve asked for advice from a lot of people, specifically Tom Izzo, Isiah Thomas, Mateen Cleaves, Charlie Bell. I talked to a lot of people, but honestly, on this situation, not one of those people was consulted on this decision.”
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Ishbia was a walk-on on Michigan State’s 2000 national championship team with Izzo as head coach and Cleaves and Bell as teammates.
Paul knew being traded was an option for the Suns along with possibly being waived before the remaining $15 million of the $30.8 million salary kicked in June 28 going into the 2023-24 season.
The final year of Paul’s four-year, $120-million contract is non-guaranteed.
Between Paul being 38 and injury prone, paying him $30.8 million seemed a bit pricey. The veteran point guard missed the final four games of the Western Conference semifinals against the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets with a groin injury. He’s now with the Golden State Warriors after a trade that landed Jordan Poole with the Wizards.
Ishbia went into free agency with four players under max contracts, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Beal, and understood the Suns would have to sign guys on veteran minimums to complete the roster.
The Suns brought back Josh Okogie and Damion Lee and signed free agents Eric Gordon, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu and Yuta Watanabe.
How did the Suns fill out a roster on vet minimums and land the guys the team targeted?
“Phoenix is a destination for players. People don’t recognize that playing basketball with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Brad Beal, coached by an NBA champion, Frank Vogel, living in an amazing city with leadership of this organization that wants to win. People want to be here. People want to be a part of it. We’ve got a great practice facility, we’ve got great fans. We’ve got a great community. Phoenix is a destination. People didn’t understand that. People took less money to play for Phoenix because they also recognize that they can showcase themselves until May and June hopefully and be champions and be part of a championship organization.
“Great players, great athletes and great people want to be around other great people. Winners attract winners. Beal, Booker, Durant, Vogel are winners. They attract those players and so it was a lot easier than people think and I know people didn’t ‘t think we could build the depth that we did, but I think our depth is significantly superior to what it was last year and at the same time, better than anyone would’ve imagined, but it’s not surprising to me or James or Josh or Frank.”
The Suns reportedly had Ayton on the trading block, but they appear ready to go into training camp with the big man who has averaged a double-double in each of his five NBA seasons out of Arizona. The top overall pick in the 2018 draft is talented, athletic and has a skill set of being able to hit the jump shot, but Ayton has been criticized for lacking a consistent motor.
Then he was thoroughly outplayed by Denver’s two-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the playoffs.
At the same time, there was friction between Ayton and former Suns head coach Monty Williams.
With Williams now coaching the Pistons, Ayton, who will turn 25 on July 23, is starting anew with Vogel, who has had a history of having his big men play standout defense.
Are the Suns done making moves this offseason?
“We evaluate opportunities all the time. When teams approach us, we’re looking at everything. At the same time, I don’t think we need to make any changes at this time to compete for a championship. With that being said, are there free agents we can sign, are there some trades that may or may not happen? Obviously, there are, but I think our core of our team is set and I feel really great about where we are at right now.”
Have an opinion about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia addresses Chris Paul comment on Isiah Thomas, free agents