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Phoenix Suns owner talked about his first experiences as an NBA owner and reflected on the decision to bring Kevin Durant to the team in an effort to fast forward the process of winning a championship.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia spoke in an interview with CNBC Sports, where he recalled his decisions after purchasing the team in December of 2022.
Following the purchase, Ishbia decided to put money in the team and get the best available players to win an NBA championship as fast as possible with the main move being the trade for Kevin Durant ahead of the 2023 February trade dealine.
"I kind of just threw money at the problem," Ishbia claimed. "There was not a defined culture and north star where we were going and therefore bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn't necessarily lead to championships.
"You gotta find guys and people that are aligned with the vision that we are going, the work ethic, the attitude, the care factor around winning, the grind every single day and that's what we're looking for in Phoenix. Whether it's Kevin Durant or not, it doesn't really matter, it's all about the type of players that we have and now we've defined it and now we only get those type of players."
The Phoenix Suns under Mat Ishbia
Mat Ishbia
Mat Ishbia
The Suns had success before Ishbia, making the 2021 NBA Finals and becoming the first seed in the Western Conference in 2021-22 and it seemed that his decision to bring in Kevin Durant in 2023 would get Phoenix over the hump.
However, in their first playoffs with Durant, the Suns lost in the conference semifinals against the eventual champions, Denver Nuggets. The 2023-24 season was marked by a first round sweep, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The most disastrous season was 2024-25 when the Suns missed the play-in and finished as the 11th seed.
After that, Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2025 and Phoenix had a better season as the 8th seed, however, they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in another sweep.