The Phoenix Suns owner has received a lot of criticism for a variety of reasons since taking over the organization, but it is his insistence on hiring people with ties to the state of Michigan that has been a huge source of ridicule from rival fan bases.
Head coach Jordan Ott quickly put an end to that, he has been so good out of the gate at The Valley that it is impossible for that selection to make things difficult for Ishbia. It hasn’t even taken him a quarter of the season, but with this step he has already outsmarted the entire competition.
Brian Gregory succeeded when everyone thought he would fail.
The addition of general manager Brian Gregory was far more complicated, the ties to Michigan State far more blatant. While Coach Ott had been a top assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gregory was seemingly plucked from obscurity to replace someone in James Jones who – despite all his faults – had brought success to Phoenix.
Gregory followed up his hiring by… saying and doing very little, but behind the scenes he worked hard. The Suns are now starting to see the fruits of the moves Gregory and the front office have made, and it’s another reason to celebrate for the Suns.
The Suns front office has nailed their ballpark moves this offseason:
Collin Gillespie at least ✅
Isaiah Levers on a two-way street ✅
Jordan Goodwin at least ✅
Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the 2nd round✅
A great first summer for Brian Gregory!
— Erik Ruby (@ErikRuby) November 24, 2025
It turns out he might not be so bad at this General Manager company. Arguably the biggest win is the trade for center Mark Williams, who appears to be a key part of a future playoff group. Then there was the decision to cut Collin Gillespie to a good deal, which was an inspired choice.
Developing new talent has also been on the agenda, and so far none of their three rookies, Khaman Maluach, Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming, look set to fail. Not that they will all be important parts of the rotation in the coming years, but you can see the logic in each selection.
While it wasn’t pulling his pants down in the Kevin Durant trade, that was the real highlight of Gregory’s tenure thus far. Jalen Green has barely featured, but Dillon Brooks has already helped reset the culture in Phoenix. Maluach was technically part of that deal too, another plus.
The icing on the cake was dumping Bradley Beal, and while the Suns are still in a tough spot with a lack of draft picks on the way, the future is already looking brighter. By keeping his head down and getting to work, Brian Gregory has once again proven that the Michigan State connection can work in Phoenix.
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