New Suns GM Brian Gregory on his relationship with James Jones, Devin Booker
Brian Gregory has a “great relationship” with former Suns GM James Jones.
Phoenix Suns‘ general manager Brian Gregory praised his working relationship with former GM James Jones and expects that will continue as the team searches for a new coach and decisions are made about the roster.
Jones was replaced by Gregory in the Suns’ front office changes announced on May 1 and named senior adviser.
“Over the last two years, James and I have spent a lot of time together and we have a great relationship,” Gregory said. “The respect level on my end is incredible.”
Gregory assured that finding the Suns’ next “great” head coach with Jones’ and Devin Booker’s input is his “main focus” right now, then June’s draft. The Suns have the No. 29 overall pick via Cleveland.
Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein attended the press conference, but owner Mat Ishbia and Jones did not.
Gregory began as a Suns consultant in 2023 before becoming the VP of player programming that helped with their rookies Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, and three two-way players Collin Gillespie, Jalen Bridges and TyTy Washington Jr.
Jones was the Suns’ GM and president of basketball operations for seven years before he was shifted to a senior adviser role. That was after the Suns’ disastrous 36-win season and missed the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Jones’ contract expires in June. Gregory, who’s never had an executive role of this level in the league, talked about Jones’ experience and insight needed moving forward.
“I think we’re fortunate to have James stay in that senior advisory role,” Gregory said. “He’s gonna lean in and help with the Player 15 Group with the Suns and with Mercury. Again, I think our relationship will only continue to grow on the professional and on the personal level because he’s a heck of a guy, and I’m looking forward to that.”
The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer a day after the season ended, the third coach fired in three seasons. The Big 3 of Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal the past two seasons has been underwhelming, falling short of their championship aspirations.
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Gregory said at his press conference that he has been in contact with all three players since he was named GM last week.
Their three salaries accounted for about $150 million of the team’s payroll, a big reason Phoenix is above the second league tax apron — about $400 million in salary and league tax combined this past season.
Not all of this falls on Jones, who was responsible for several successful moves in recent years.
Ishbia said at the Suns’ end-of-season press conference on April 17 that he, Bartelstein and Jones worked together to finalize decisions about the team’s direction. Gregory said he will report directly to Ishbia and Bartelstein will have a hand in decisions as well.
Jones hired Monty Williams as Suns coach in May 2019. He led the team to the NBA Finals two years later. There was the 2019 draft in which he finessed the trade that sent the Suns’ No. 6 overall pick Jarrett Culver to Minnesota for the 11th pick Cam Johnson and veteran Dario Saric.
They were key players in their revitalized 8-0 Orlando bubble run in 2020, when the Suns barely missed the playoffs. Jones orchestrated the Chris Paul trade from Oklahoma City in November 2020, a key factor in the team making it to the NBA finals in 2021 and their franchise-best 64 wins and No. 1 overall playoff seed in the 2021-22 season.
The Suns were embarrassed at home in Game 7 of the 2022 playoffs against Luka Doncic and Dallas.
Ishbia spearheaded the Durant trade from Brooklyn in his first order of business just days after he bought the team in February 2023. That cost the Suns former starters Mikal Bridges, Johnson and Jae Crowder, as well as four unprotected first-round draft picks and a 2028 first-round pick swap.
Then there was the June 2023 Bradley Beal trade that Jones and Bartelstein engineered that sent Paul in a massive package to Washington that included Landry Shamet, four first-round pick swaps and six second-rounders.
That deal occurred a few weeks before the NBA’s current collective bargaining introducing the first and second tax aprons went into effect. Teams that exceed the second threshold, which is $188 million for this season, are restricted in their ability to acquire players via trades and make roster moves.
In addition, there was the recent failure to land Jimmy Butler from Miami before the trade deadline. As they tried to shop Beal and get off his $110 million owed over the next two years, the Suns minced their unprotected 2031 first-round pick in a trade with the Utah Jazz by acquiring three least favorable first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029.
Butler ended up going to the Golden State Warriors, and is thriving as they’re in the West semifinals against Minnesota.