The Phoenix Suns are coming off one of their worst seasons in recent memory. The squad finished 36-46 and didn’t even qualify for a Play-In spot despite a stacked team that included Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker.
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One person who is taking the blame is the team owner, Matt Ishbia. The 45-year-old CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage recently did an interview with NBA Radio on SiriusXM, where he admitted that the past year has been a learning experience for him.
“The big thing I learned is that you got to start and have the vision and identity day one. I did not do that with the Phoenix Suns,” said Ishbia. “I thought, ‘Hey let’s add some money. Let’s get them, they already had a good thing going, let’s uncap some resources, and it will only get better.’ That’s not how it works.”
It’s clear that he was referring to bringing in Durant, although he never mentioned KD by name. Still, the lesson was most likely a hard one for Ishbia, which is why he’s taking a whole new approach: identity.
“We are going to do it the right way here in Phoenix for the long term.”@Suns owner @Mishbia15 tells @TermineRadio and @Jumpshot8 he’s learning from past mistakes and is committed to constructing a winning team in Phoenix #SunsUp pic.twitter.com/vzzSAyc8HR
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 18, 2025
“We have to set an identity,” he stated. “We have to define what we’re about here in Phoenix. We have to get those type of players. From the front office, to the medical staff, the dieticians, everybody’s got to have an alignment of what we’re about here in Phoenix.”
Isbhia would, in the next moment, do something that more owners, coaches, and players need to start doing. Taking responsibility. “We didn’t do a good enough job. That’s on me. I’ll take the blame. We’re going to do it the right way here in Phoenix for the long term.”
But what does long-term look like for the Suns? According to Ishbia, there is no real timeline. He just wants to instill the idea that the work of rebuilding is starting right away.
“The long term could be a year or two or three or it could ten, but we are going to build it the right way. We got to make our fans proud. No one is going to question whether I care. I promise you that, and no one is going to question whether I spend. I promise you that,” a passionate Isbhia concluded.
It’s the type of interview that will either be a calling card if the team succeeds, or a sound bite that ages horribly if they fail. No one expects Phoenix to bounce right back as a contender, but this is a team that made the Finals back in 2021 and became less of a threat once Durant joined the squad.
Again, it’s cool to hear Isbhia, an owner of all people, be man enough to admit that he was in the wrong. Those things happen in sports. Sometimes you have big misses, but taking a big swing is more important.
Phoenix has done one correct thing so far this offseason. They signed Booker to a two-year extension, meaning the 28-year-old will be with the team up until the 2029-2030 season. That gives Isbhia a large enough window to stack some talent next to the face of his franchise.
