Suns Owner Pushing Hard For Changes

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia has promised Suns fans changes are coming to this offseason after Phoenix missed the playoffs with a disappointing 36-46 record.

The Suns already made one major change only one day after the season ended - firing coach Mike Budenholzer after just one season with the team.

With the Suns having the highest payroll in NBA history going into the season, many have assumed front office changes are coming, but nothing is official yet.

However, recent reports suggest the Suns are looking to bring in some experience to the front office.

After The Stein Line's Marc Stein reported Phoenix's interest in former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers Wednesday, The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin reported Thursday that "sources also informed The Republic that Ishbia has been 'pushing hard' to get Myers."

Rankin added that current Suns general manager and president of basketball operations James Jones and CEO Josh Bartelstein "have collaborated" with Ishbia on basketball personnel decisions.

There was also another name Rankin threw into the fold for who the Suns could target: "Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst is another name to consider as he’s from Sandusky, Michigan. Ishbia is from Birmingham, Michigan, near Detroit."

However, the Bucks and Horst reportedly agreed to a multiyear contract extension shortly after Rankin's story was published, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Ishbia said in his end-of-season press conference last Thursday that the Suns would be looking to get the front office corrected before making a move for the next head coach.

 “We’ve got to set it up front first with the leadership and that starts with me and we will do that,” Ishbia said. “Then we will get the right front office structure with scouts and what to look for in the draft and then we’re going to find the right coach and it will be a process. You’re not going to see a next coach hired in a week or two.”

Rankin proposed a couple structure shifts the Suns could make if they retain Jones and Bartelstein and hire someone else:

"Here's one potential one: The new hire takes over basketball personnel decisions, Jones assists the new hire and Bartelstein focuses solely on the business side.

"Here's a second one: The new hire and Jones share basketball personnel decisions with Bartelstein in a secondary role along with handling business decisions."

Whatever the Suns do decide to do with the front office seems like it will likely be the next major move they make before an offseason when big decisions will have to be made.

You can read more about Myers by clicking here.