Ishbia doesn't see any key moves happening for his Phoenix team before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
In the wake of special season progress so far, Mat Ishbia doesn't see the Phoenix Suns making any significant roster changes.
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Appearing on The Zach Lowe Show, the outspoken Suns owner addressed his team's plans ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
"We talked to everyone. A lot of teams are calling, but we love our team, honestly," he said. "Once again, we’re building something bigger than how many wins we got. I said that before the season. People gave me a hard time again about what’s success, how many wins. I said, listen, success is making sure that our team plays the way we talked about. Like I said, we’re going to play tougher. We’re going to rebound. I come from Michigan State basketball, and we’re going to do some of those things, but we have our Phoenix Suns spin to it, the Suns’ way. And so, I love our team.
"We’re taking calls, but honestly, I don’t think we’re a big mover. I think our team’s very competitive right now. We like the vibes, the energy. We like the direction. We have a young team. Last year, we had one of the oldest teams. ... And so, we’re excited about the growth. We’re not doing anything crazy, but we are very active. We have picks. We have things we can move around. But right now, I feel good about where we’re at."
Following the Kevin Durant trade and out of their disappointing runs over the last two seasons with the superstar forward, there is a huge skepticism about the Suns' chances to compete this 2025-26 season.
Fast forward today, Phoenix is playing an entertaining brand of basketball. They silenced their critics and rose to prominence as one of the surprise teams in the NBA.
Under the mentorship of first-year coach Jordan Ott, the Suns are in the mix among the West's top teams. With a 29-19 record, they are just 3.5 games away from the No. 2 seed in the Conference's competitive standings.
Devin Booker has been balling out, Collin Gillespie is a huge revelation at the point, Mark Williams is a solid offseason acquisition at the center spot and Dillon Brooks became an instant fan-favorite who is gunning for a potential All-Star spot.
There were reports that the Suns have been linked to Guerschon Yabusele. The New York Knicks are looking to move the French big man after falling out of Mike Brown's rotation.
While he acknowledged the speculation, Ishbia insisted that he is happy about their current group.
"I’ll tell you that I know that guy that you’re referencing, and he’s a great player and a winner on the court. He believes in a lot of things we do, but there’s nothing to it right now. Like I said, there’s nothing even close that we’re talking about," Ishbia said, "And I know there’s a lot of bigger trades that a lot of teams are talking about now that are maybe going to hold up the rest of them, but we really do. And I know it’s not fun to talk about because you got a podcast you want, but the truth is we like our team. We like our guys.
"If a good opportunity came up, whether it’s a position that we need, it’s got to be aligned with the age that we’re building and the toughness and the type of guys we want on and off the court. And so, we’re not looking at anyone that does not fit that mold."
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