The Phoenix Suns unraveled the past season, a roster stacked with star power and guided by an owner who didn’t mind swinging for the fences. But that vision quickly fell apart. Now, with Kevin Durant gone, the dust settles on one of the most disappointing eras in recent franchise history. But Suns owner Mat Ishbia is already pointing to a different kind of blueprint for redemption, one that’s quietly playing out next door with Phoenix’s other professional basketball team. And it might just work.

Long before Durant was traded, before Bradley Beal was stretched and waived, and before the Phoenix Suns reset everything but Devin Booker, Mat Ishbia already had a test case running in the same city: the Phoenix Mercury. “When I bought the Suns, I thought we were on third base,” Ishbia said recently. “But I didn’t define the vision, the culture, what we wanted. We tried spending some money and supporting what was there. It didn’t work. We all saw that.”

In contrast, Ishbia’s takeover of the Mercury came with immediate, sweeping changes. He fired the coach, replaced the GM, and built a young, hungry team. And now? The Mercury sits just one win away from securing the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs. In just two years, they’ve gone from the league’s basement to legitimate contenders, fueled by youth and a clear team identity.

The exact ingredients the Suns sorely lacked with their “super team” model.“The Suns are two years behind the Mercury,” Ishbia admitted. “But we’re doing the same thing. No shortcuts this time.”

There was no need to rehash what went wrong with Durant, Beal, and Booker. That trio had all the talent in the world, but none of the cohesion or fight fans expected. The Suns sputtered to a 36–46 record in 2024–25 and missed the playoffs entirely, leading to the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer and a front-office shakeup. 

Ishbia’s message is rooted in accountability, and the process is a far cry from the frantic spending and rushed trades that defined his first two seasons in charge of the Suns. “I know what kind of guys I want,” Ishbia added. “We ain’t trading for guys who aren’t like this.” It’s a recognition that culture can’t be bought. And, more importantly, it’s a promise to make amends and turn the tide around.

Ishbia marks a new era in Phoenix

The Suns gave up a haul to get Durant and ultimately couldn’t build around him. And while he still performed at an elite level, averaging 26.6 points per game last season, his presence didn’t translate to wins or joy. “Embarrassing season, right?” Ishbia said. “Awful. I watch every game like all of you guys do. No one’s proud of it.”

In place of Durant and Beal, Phoenix now rolls with a young, athletic roster including Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, and 2025 draftees Khaman Maluach, Rasheed Fleming, and Koby Brea. Role players like Ryan Dunn are also getting real development focus. The approach isn’t glamorous, but it’s intentional. “We love the guys we’ve added,” Ishbia said. “They’re all in the gym in August. They’re aligned with our vision. They’re not superstars yet, but they’re going to get better every day.”

The goal now is building a competitive identity that mirrors the grit of the city rather than a quick championship. An identity that puts defense, development, and day-by-day progress at the center of everything. And that vision, Ishbia promises, is already taking shape.

“We’ll be a lot more fun to watch,” he said. “We’ll play harder. And I believe we’ll win more games.” Ishbia is determined to change taking a more direct stance, a stark difference from his previous content to sit back and let others set the direction approach with the franchise’s future. The same level of involvement that helped turn around the Mercury.

“We’re going to be competitive, a team you’re going to be proud of, and we’re going to be building. Over the next couple years, you’re going to see us follow that same Phoenix Mercury path.”

For now, that means getting the right coach, and the Suns appointed  Jordan Ott this summer. The Suns are no longer pretending they’re a piece away. Mat Ishbia admits he was wrong about Kevin Durant and nearly everything else during his whirlwind early tenure. But now, backed by a revitalized Mercury model, he seems intent to lead into the new era in the correct manner.