Rookie GM Brian Gregory says he's ready to rebuild the Suns, touts closeness with owner Mat Ishbia
PHOENIX (AP) — Brian Gregory's basketball resume has plenty of gravitas thanks to nearly two decades as an NCAA Division I head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida.
That's not why he's the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns.
Instead, it is Gregory's 25-year relationship with Suns owner Mat Ishbia that is the major reason he's making the rare transition from college sidelines to an NBA front office. Some may see that as a negative, but Gregory believes his closeness with Ishbia will be an asset as the Suns embark on a difficult rebuild following one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. FILE -South Florida head coach Brian Gregory calls a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Auburn Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
'I'm never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I'm sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,' Gregory said Tuesday. 'But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We've been through a lot together.
'He trusts me and I trust him.'
The 58-year-old Gregory was elevated to the general manager's role with the Suns last week, with former GM James Jones moving into the role of a senior advisor. Oronde Taliaferro was promoted to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers will add basketball operations responsibilities to his role as chief innovation officer.
Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003, which was the same time that Ishbia was a walk-on guard for the Spartans.
Michigan State enjoyed plenty of success during those years, including a national championship in 2000. Now the Ishbia-Gregory pairing will try to recreate that magic for a franchise that has never won a title in its 57-year history despite making the Finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021.
The Suns finished last season with a disappointing 36-46 record despite the league's most expensive roster that included the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker — a four-time All-Star and franchise icon who has spent all of his 10 seasons in the desert — is the only player who seems certain to return.
Gregory's first task this offseason will be hiring a new head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after just one season. It will be the Suns' fourth head coach in four years.
After that, it will be time to focus on an expensive but flawed roster. Ishbia said last month he wants future Suns teams to feature 'some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.'
Gregory's most valuable trade chip this summer appears to be Durant, who was still one of the NBA's elite scorers last season at 36. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points on 53% shooting, shows few signs of slowing and will certainly have multiple suitors during the offseason.
Beal — a three-time All-Star — could be much more difficult to unload. The oft-injured guard is due more than $50 million next season, but his production hasn't come close to matching the price tag.
Gregory said he likes both players, but wasn't ready to comment on their future in the desert.
'I have a very good relationship with both those guys,' Gregory said. 'Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that.
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'My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.'
Gregory joined the Suns in 2023 and served in several roles, most recently as the vice president of player programming. He had major input in the Suns selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in last year's draft and both had promising moments during their rookie seasons.
Dunn and Ighodaro featured on-court personalities that seem closer to Ishbia's gritty ideals, with the young duo featuring an energy and spirit that was conspicuously lacking from much of the rest of the roster.
___
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