Acquiring an NBA franchise carries a lot of pressure, but Suns owner Matt Ishbia didn’t hesitate in completing a blockbuster trade as his first decision in charge. On February 6, 2023, the NBA approved Ishbia’s purchase of the Suns’ majority stakes. Only hours after purchasing the team, Ishbia agreed on the terms to land superstar Kevin Durant from the Nets. In an interview with ESPN analyst Shams Charania, Ishbia revealed the decision was a “no-brainer.”
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Ishbia’s deal to become the owner of the Suns cost $4 billion. At the core of his being, Ishbia is a businessman. His rise to billionaire status came from his role as CEO and chairman of United Wholesale Mortgage. Every great business strives to put forth the best product. Ishbia understood the importance of this in the NBA landscape. Therefore, he sought after one of the NBA’s best players ever. Regarding his decision to do so, he said,
“To me it was a no-brainer. A thousand times out of a thousand you make that trade to get Kevin Durant on your team with three and a half years left on his contract. You put him next to Devin Booker and you go play. I felt great about the trade then, I feel better about it even now.”
At the time of the trade, the Suns maintained their core which had led them to the 2021 NBA Finals. However, it was clear that the team ran its course. Point guard Chris Paul was aging and big man DeAndre Ayton didn’t have a good relationship with the team. Changes needed to be made and Ishbia believed it had to be big.
Durant’s short tenure thus far hasn’t gone quite the way the team would’ve hoped. In his first season, they made it to the second round before getting eliminated by the eventual champions, the Nuggets. However, in the 2024 postseason, the Suns were the biggest disappointment in the playoffs as they were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round.
Phoenix has done its best to configure a championship team despite its tight financial restrictions. They started the season 8-1 before Durant’s calf injury. Their trio of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Durant is one of the highest-profile big threes in the league. The current construction of the Suns gives the team their best chance at winning a championship. It’s no wonder Ishbia feels even better about the trade nearly two years later.
Durant hasn’t slowed down
The 6-foot-11 forward entered the season at 36 years old. There is plenty of praise for LeBron James’ longevity but Durant is also very deserving. He’s in his 17th season yet his production hasn’t dropped off one bit.
To start the 2024-25 season, Durant opened the floodgates in the scoring department. Before his injury, Durant was averaging 27.6 points while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc and 61.9% from inside the three-point line. His play to start the season was enough to keep him in early MVP conversations.
Ishbia’s confidence in the Suns correlates to Booker and Durant being the team’s two main stars. KD is having a stellar start to the season despite his injury and his co-star Booker is right behind him.
Booker hasn’t started the season off amazingly compared to his standard but has been great for the Suns. The four-time All-Star is averaging 23.5 points and 6.5 assists per game.
The potential of Booker and Durant, when healthy, is the reason for Ishbia’s confidence in this team. The acquisition of Mike Budenholzer as the team’s new head coach has paid dividends in the team’s success. Luckily, Durant’s injury isn’t a huge concern and he should be back on the court soon picking up where he left off.
