Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia has never shied away from the spotlight. Since buying the team, he has made multiple bold statements and leaned into a very hands-on approach, where he directly addresses the media and fans. However, his latest comments following Kevin Durant’s departure drew a lot of criticism from respected voices across the league.

One of the voices is veteran NBA journalist Howard Beck, who, on the 27th September episode of the Real Ones podcast, highlighted Ishbia’s comments. For him, the issue is not Ishbia talking, but how he has framed the situation: “The guy just needs to be a little bit more straightforward. I appreciate that he talks a lot. I appreciate that he is passionate. I appreciate that he is candid, but his candor is often ‘spin-candor.’”

Beck specifically pointed to how Ishbia reframed Durant’s exit as a decision made by the team based on fit. “It’s okay to just say, ‘I made a huge freaking trade three seconds after I took ownership of the team. I gave away all of our assets. It didn’t work out,’” he said. Co-host and former Suns player Raja Bell chimed in, “That’s all you need to say to that. It did not work out.”

Beck also highlighted the need for Ishbia to be honest in his addresses. Beck argued that his accountability, not revised talking points, would build credibility. “You build more credibility with the fans and the media by being honest about where your missteps were and being honest about bad situations,” he said.

The criticism went further as Beck pointed to the fallout of the Durant trade. Phoenix, which shipped out a massive package to acquire Durant, had to ship him out for far less, and had to stretch Bradley Beal’s contract, leaving them with over $19M of dead money on their books until 2029-2030. Beck was blunt in his verdict: Mat Ishbia has created a mess, and is trying to dress it up with words.

Mat Ishbia Speaks on Durant Departure

Suns owner Mat Ishbia had previously addressed Kevin Durant’s exit on NBA Today, stating Phoenix‘s stance going forward, “[Kevin Durant] is a great player, nobody can ever question that, but he just wasn’t a fit for what we’re doing going forward. He’s had an amazing career, but he’s not a fit for what we’re doing moving forward. We wish him the best, but we love the guys we got.”

Ishbia tried to reassure fans that the Suns remained committed to their roster, and that the decision was purely about Durant’s fit, framing it as a strategic decision for long-term vision. However, it is clear that Durant and the Suns did not part on good terms, and his addition to the team messed with the chemistry and roles already in place.

Former Suns player Vasilije Micic attested to the fact that franchise cornerstone Devin Booker had to step back for Durant to play his game, reducing his own role, “Booker is an outstanding leader too, he was a little in the shadows but not in a bad sense, he really respects KD so much that he couldn’t implement his own leadership, which is actually pretty good because he’s all about team involvement, but KD is simply much bigger than all of that.“