NBA exec jokes about 'Ishbia Rule' with Kevin Durant, Suns trade backfiring
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When Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia took over as the majority owner, he immediately had Kevin Durant on his radar. The first-time NBA owner made an immediate impact right when he took over.
The Suns made a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant, which sent Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and four first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets. The move gave Phoenix a Big 4 of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Durant. Despite acquiring Durant, they only made it to the Western Conference Semifinals.
They were eventually defeated in six games by the Denver Nuggets, who would go on to win the NBA title that season. Fast forward one season and Ishbia continued to put his thumb on the scale. He helped land the Suns another blockbuster trade, this time for Bradley Beal. Still, the organization sent four future first-round pick swaps and six future second-round picks.
Now in 2024, Phoenix has a 20-20 record and might feel the repercussions of drafting away multiple draft assets. One NBA executive feels that exact way and told ESPN that Ishbia could end up in bad company.
“Everyone knows about the Stepien Rule,” the executive said. “I don’t know how this is all going to play out, but depending on how that KD trade ends up, there might be an ‘Ishbia Rule’ proposed where new owners can’t make a trade for six months after buying the team.”
Will Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia end up on the bad side of history?
Ishbia isn’t the first hands-on owner that the NBA has seen. One of the pioneers of that was Mark Cuban when he previously owned the Dallas Mavericks. He made his voice known with certain trades, signings, among other things. As a result, it paid off and the Mavericks won the 2011 NBA championship against the Miami Heat.
Going closer to the present day, current Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Balmer has put his thumb on the scale in a big way. For starters, he helped build the Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ new arena in Inglewood, California. They have their new arena and don’t have to share it with the Los Angeles Lakers anymore.
However, both Cuban and Balmer have something in common. They let the general managers do their respective work. Although they have input, they let those people handle the business decisions. For Ishbia, it’s been a bit of the opposite, and then some. It’s not bad that he’s been involved, but too much involvement can be a bad thing.
After all, Phoenix only has two draft picks after acquiring Nick Richards on Wednesday. They put all the eggs in one basket and so far, it hasn’t paid off. Currently, the 20-20 record doesn’t justify overreaching to acquire superstar players. Furthermore, sometimes the fit isn’t always there.
Now, the Suns don’t have too many resources left to squander. If the franchise doesn’t secure a championship, Ishbia could end up in the history books, for all the wrong reasons.
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