By Thomas Bonvehi, Cronkite News<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2014 As the Suns prepared to open training camp, they expressed the typical optimism that comes with every team\u2019s Media Day. They spoke about players getting stronger, off-season connectivity and building on what they accomplished last season when they were a play-in team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know what it feels like,\u201d said Suns coach Jordan Ott, who led the Suns to an eighth-place finish in the Western Conference during his first season. \u201cWe actually feel it. Definitely like we\u2019re in a good spot, but nothing\u2019s ever taken for granted with any of us, knowing how hard it is to repeat success or to even build on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, owner Mat Ishbia also addressed a couple of questions Monday that have been hanging over the team in the offseason. Ishbia insisted that financial issues with his business, United Wholesale Mortgage, will have \u201czero\u201d impact on the basketball organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cAm I still going to pay the luxury tax? Yes,\u201d said Ishbia, who revealed that he has purchased another 14% of the team and now personally owns 80% of the franchise. \u201cAre we still going to do crazy things for the fans? Yes, yes, yes. I always say this, \u2018I don\u2019t own the team, it\u2019s the city\u2019s team.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Ishbia also answered questions about the team\u2019s acquisition of controversial forward Miles Bridges in an off-season trade. In 2022, Bridges pleaded no contest to a domestic abuse charge and was placed on probation. He was later accused of violating the conditions of his probation, but a criminal summons was subsequently dropped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cOff the court, what Miles did was unacceptable,\u201d Ishbia said. \u201cCannot be condoned by anyone in America. That\u2019s just completely wrong. He\u2019s been held accountable, he\u2019s shown remorse. We have standards here in Phoenix, and that\u2019s not to our standards, and that will not be allowed near that type of level here in Phoenix.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the focus, however, was on basketball, and Suns star Devin Booker noted that the team spent much of the offseason working together, building comaraderie during workouts in the Valley and on trips to Toronto, Las Vegas and Flagstaff.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got together a few times as a full team,\u201d Booker said. \u201cWe all met in (Las) Vegas. We all were in Flagstaff. And this past month, we\u2019ve been running a lot of open gym, probably three times a week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Booker even revealed that second-year center Khaman Maluach had reached out to him and asked to work out with him individually. He and Maluach kept ending up at the team\u2019s practice facility at the same time of night, Booker said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then one time, he just texted me and was like, \u2018Can we get some work in together?\u2019\u201d Booker said. \u201cI think that guard-and-big relationship is super important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suns guard Jalen Green also pointed to the team-building that went on in the offseason.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody has been grinding together, from young guys to the vets,\u201d Green said. \u201cYou can\u2019t really ask nothing better from the organization (than) to have the whole team here and working together, chasing the same goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players also sought improvement on their own, notably Dillon Brooks, who spent time in China studying martial arts and Taoism, which he believes can apply on the court.<\/p>\n