The Phoenix Suns haven’t made it past the Conference Semi-Finals for the last 4 years, and didn’t even make it to the playoffs in the recent NBA season, but the team still wants to keep its people close. And Mat Ishbia’s recent comments, “We have players that wanna be here, that are bought into the Phoenix Suns’ culture. I can take the criticism for not defining (that culture) well enough when I bought the team, but it is defined very clearly now,” added value to it. However, nobody is permanent, and Durant is an example of that. But Ishbia revealed a different truth when rumors did the rounds that the team’s next part of the plan would be to get rid of Jalen Green.

During the same interview with Arizona Sports’ Burns and Gambo, the Phoenix Suns team owner was asked if the current team roster is the one he will go to camp with, or if the door is still open to pursue any additional changes. Ishbia replied, “No, I expect this to be the roster. I mean, obviously, if a call comes…. but we like our roster a lot. A lot more than a lot of national pundits, but the national pundits a year ago picked us to win the NBA championship. To be a Top 5 team in the league, and they were dead wrong, just like we were”.

Jalen Green was traded to the Phoenix Suns, along with Dillon Brooks, in the very same trade that sent veteran star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. However, the star was recently speculated to be traded away from the Phoenix Suns as well. But Ishbia cleared the air, “So, like, I like our roster, regardless of what the people think. I think I got good young talent. We got size. We got a dominant superstar in Devin Booker. We got a young up-and-coming superstar in Jalen Green and Mark Williams, and we feel really good about those players”.

It all began amidst reported rumors that the Suns were looking to negotiate with the Atlanta Hawks for Trae Young. Earlier this month, Sports Illustrated’s Connor Moreno proposed a trade package that would see the Suns receiving Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu, while the Hawks received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Khaman Maluach. Athlon Sports reporter Nathaniel Holloway stated that Phoenix may not want to move on from Green this early after they acquired him earlier this summer, but that things could change “if his fit next to Booker does not work”. For now, however, Jalen Green has the confidence of Mat Ishbia.

The Phoenix Suns team owner wasn’t the only one who had faith in Green. After the trade, the Suns’ new general manager, Brian Gregory, said that “Jalen is an explosive scorer who has already shown impressive productivity across the board throughout his young career. His athleticism and natural ability are off the charts. Jalen has already proven his commitment to putting in the work that excellence requires, and we believe that his approach to the game will allow him to further unlock his incredible upside here in Phoenix”. Given these remarks and Ishbia’s recent vote of confidence, Jalen Green’s future with the Suns is secure. For now.

Trading Jalen Green even before he got the chance to play for the Phoenix Suns would be an impatient move. If there is one thing that Mat Ishbia has made it clear he doesn’t want to be, it is impatient.

Mat Ishbia Highlights Need To Build Suns The Right Way: “Expect To Be Patient”

During the interview, Mat Ishbia highlighted the need to wait when building a culture. In light of this, he admitted that, “When I bought the Suns originally, I thought we were on third base, and it’s like, ‘Okay, let me give them a little of extra money, a little bit of a push. Stay out of the way and let them’”. Unfortunately, this strategy did not work out so well.

After that, Ishbia revealed setting a vision by himself. From the players to the coaches, he admitted to what kind of people he wanted through which a worthwhile culture could be built. “Do I expect it to take a couple years to really get to the point where you’re like, ‘Wow, I really see the vision?’ Yes … I do expect to be patient with it, to build it the right way, but I am also optimistic that we’ll be a lot better than people think,” said Ishbia.

One part of building the right way is focusing on young players since, as the team owner said, “We have young players that are ascending instead of players that are descending”. Therefore, the expectations of Jalen Green and the younger players will only be higher going forward.