The 2025 Phoenix Suns roster is night-and-day different from what they looked like over the past few years. They made many other moves to overhaul their recent approach. The most significant move was trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets; in return, the Suns received draft picks, Dillon Brooks, and Jalen Green. Right now, the Suns are playing fantastic basketball with all those moves.
One player in particular, Dillon Brooks, has been a lightning rod of controversy during his time in the NBA. Suns owner Mat Ishbia went on Draymond Green's podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” and they were talking about the moves that the Suns made. Green said he has had his differences with Dillon Brooks, but he admits that he is a guy who will immediately make a basketball team better if he is on it.
Green said, “You added Dillon Brooks. I’ve had my differences with Dillon Brooks, but one thing is certain: Dillon Brooks is going to make a team a better team. No questions asked: regardless of how you feel about him, he’s going to make a team better. He’s going to raise the level of that team on a nightly basis to compete at a high level.”
The Suns gained the rights to last year's No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and they used it on Khaman Maluach out of Duke.
After all the changes, the Suns had few expectations this year. However, they are playing fantastic basketball, and the pieces the Suns have are fitting together in a way that few expected.
The Suns not only overhauled their roster but also hired new general manager Brian Gregory and new head coach Jordan Ott. They jump-started the roster and are playing an exciting brand of basketball.
Mat Ishbia addressed what needed to change after the Suns went 36-46 and missed the play-in tournament, and so far, things look much different in the early part of the NBA season.
“I want to put a team out there on the court that everyone is proud of,” Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia said. “It has to have an identity — an identity similar to Phoenix. Some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.”
The Suns are playing well with their new players, new coach, and new general manager, and it's a testament to Mat Ishbia for making the necessary changes while keeping Devin Booker and letting him flourish.
