The Phoenix Suns are naming the new head of basketball and is encouraging Vice President Brian Gregory to become the franchise’s new general manager as James Jones moves into the role of senior advisor to the organization, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Twenty years after being the head coach of the NCAA, Gregory has worked closely with front office Suns officials over the past two years, and is an important part of the 2024 draft picks for Ryandan and Osoi Godalo, and now envisions a more prominent daily position.
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Jones has been the Suns GM since 2019 and won the executive of the year in the 2020-21 season, leading four consecutive playoff seasons. Jones rejoined the Suns organization in 2017 after playing two seasons (2005-07) for the team as a player.
After finishing 36-46 and finishing 11th place this season, the Suns have undergone a major summer change, firing Mike Budenholzer on April 14th to rebuild basketball operations.
The Suns will soon set out to launch a vast and extensive search for the next head coach, sources said.
“We want to have a team on the court that everyone is proud of,” Ishvia said at a press conference after the Suns season was over. “It has to have an identity – an identity similar to Phoenix. Some groove, some resolve, some work ethic, some crushing, some joy. We don’t have it.”
Gregory has experience in the basketball landscape and has served 19 seasons as a college basketball head coach with Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida. He also served as Michigan assistant coach under Tom Izzo from 1999 to 2003. This overlaps with Ishvia’s stint as the point guard for the National Championship team in 2000.
