Suns rumors: Bob Myers pursuit goes into overdrive

As Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia wants to hire Bob Myers, there’s a new twist to the mix. According to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin, the Suns were also interested in Milwaukee Bucks executive Jon Horst.

The general manager won the 2019 NBA Executive of the Year after the Bucks had a 60-win season. During his time as the general manager, Milwaukee won the 2021 NBA Finals, coincidentally against the Suns.

However, Phoenix seems locked in on Myers to be the next general manager. It doesn’t come as a surprise, as many fans have made an outcry for the former Golden State Warriors executive.

Still, some interesting elements could make a hire all the more possible. For starters, current general manager James Jones’s contract is set to expire in June.

At the Suns’ end-of-season availability, he didn’t clearly say if he would bring back Jones. If that’s the case, then it would look more and more likely that Myers would be locked on by the Suns.

No matter what, it’s important to look at what Jones has done well, and what he hasn’t before Phoenix makes a move.

Why would the Suns sign Bob Myers instead of extending James Jones?

Myers has a history of building championship teams, as evidenced by the Warriors’ dynasty run. He helped them establish the Big 3 of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

Furthermore, he landed Kevin Durant and formed one of the greatest teams of all time.

However, Myers didn’t have to deal with the first and second tax apron like executives have to today. Those provisions were put in place by the league to prevent teams from going over the luxury tax.

Although they would still have to pay, Myers’s teams were fine paying the luxury tax to keep that team together. Now, the NBA wants to penalize teams who go above that metric.

Funny enough, the Suns are in that position.

Even if Myers were to step in, they would have their hands full. Kevin Durant wants out of Phoenix, and Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause.

Not to mention, the lack of draft capital makes it all the worse for the team. No matter how good an executive might be, this might be an unsalvageable situation.

At the end of the day, Myers could be the answer. However, he will have his hands full to try and disassemble and recreate a winning brand of Suns basketball.