"Had us as a title contender the past two years and were wrong then" - Mat Ishbia unbothered on experts predicting Suns to crumble after major trades

Mat Ishbia unbothered on experts predicting Suns to crumble after major trades. (Photo: IMAGN)
Mat Ishbia unbothered on experts predicting Suns to crumble after major trades. (Photo: IMAGN)

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia isn't worried about his franchise being predicted to tumble next season after their busy offseason. The Suns traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets and released Bradley Beal, while retaining Devin Booker and signing him to a two-year, $145 million extension.

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ESPN predicted the Suns as one of the six teams that will tumble next season, along with the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. However, Ishbia pointed out that the same experts were wrong about his team being contenders in the past two seasons.

"I'm not worried about what the so-called experts think. They had us as a title contender the past two years and were wrong then. We're focused on making our fans proud by playing great as a team and building a brand of basketball that's tough and gritty," Ishbia tweeted.
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Mat Ishbia became the official owner of the Phoenix Suns in February 2023. He went big by acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. The Suns also traded for Bradley Beal that same summer, but his tenure with the franchise wasn't fruitful at all.

With the Suns failing to make the playoffs last season, they decided to trade Durant to the Houston Rockets and waived Beal to free up some room for their new players. Some of the new players around Devin Booker include Mark Williams, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach.

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The Suns still need a proper point guard, but Booker was effective as "Point Book" two seasons ago. Green can also be a playmaker, but he's more of a scorer. They also hired Jordan Ott to take over the team as head coach. Ott was a top assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.


Mat Ishbia wants to build team culture for Suns fans

Mat Ishbia wants to build team culture for Suns fans. (Photo: IMAGN)
Mat Ishbia wants to build team culture for Suns fans. (Photo: IMAGN)

While the Phoenix Suns didn't do a full rebuild, Mat Ishbia wants to create a team culture for their fanbase. Ishbia opened up about his failure to establish the Suns' identity when he took over as owner in an interview with Arizona Sports' "Burns and Gambo" last week.

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"We have players that wanna be here, that are bought into the Phoenix Suns' culture," Ishbia said, according to Sports Illustrated. "I can take the criticism for not defining well enough when I bought the team, but it is defined very clearly now. There is not a player on the team that does not understand what we're about."

It will be interesting to see how the Suns fare in a very loaded and competitive Western Conference next season.

Phoenix Suns Fans? Check out the latest Suns depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by Juan Paolo David
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