The Phoenix Suns have made some very bold moves since Mat Ishbia bought the team. He bought the team in December of 2022 for a reported $4 billion. The sale was finalized in February of 2023, and Ishbia went right to work making changes.
Ishbia clearly wanted to make some big splashes when he took over the team. He wasted no time making trades for some big-time players. However, those trades are now considered some of the worst moves any team has made this decade so far.
Two Suns Trades Seen as Worst Moves This Decade
According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, two trades the Suns have made this decade are in the top three of the worst trades. He has the Kevin Durant trade listed as the third-worst trade. That trade saw them bring in Durant and TJ Warren in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round swap.
The Nets came out on top of that trade, and they are still reaping the benefits of it. They will have three more first-round picks that they get from that move. Meanwhile, Durant never meshed with Phoenix and was moved before the start of the 2025-26 season.
Hughes also has the Bradley Beal trade ranked as the second-worst trade of the decade. They got Beal in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, No. 7 (Bilal Coulibaly), a 2024 first-round swap, a 2026 first-round swap, a 2028 first-round swap, a 2030 first-round swap, a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2030 second-round pick.
Paul never played for the Wizards, but that doesn’t matter. Washington still has two first-round swaps to use from this trade. Beal had a no-trade clause, but waived it for this move. Phoenix ended up buying him out and will owe him $19.4 million for the next four years.
Mat Ishbia Could Be in Trouble in Phoenix
Off the court, Ishbia is dealing with some cash issues. He has apparently been taking some money from his business and putting it into the Suns, which is fine. However, his business has taken an economic downturn, and there are rumors he might not be able to afford the team any longer.
Ishbia has calmed down with making moves. The Suns did make the playoffs a year ago, although they were not able to advance. They did make some moves in the offseason to make their team more competitive in the future. Spending less money could be in the team’s future.
Last season, the Suns had the 17th-ranked offense in the NBA. Getting that number up will be the key to them actually succeeding in the playoffs and making a deeper run. Not making huge trades is also something the team needs to refrain from doing in order to have some stabilization.
Suns Involved in Two of the Worst Three Trades this Decade, According to Pundit