In a move that raised eyebrows across the NBA, the Phoenix Suns have elevated Brian Gregory from vice president of player programming to general manager, continuing a pattern of internal promotions under team owner Mat Ishbia’s tenure. Gregory, a longtime college coach known for his developmental acumen, now assumes a top executive role in an organization that has become synonymous with rapid turnover and strategic ambiguity.
Gregory is scheduled to address the media for the first time as GM in an introductory press conference later today. The Suns have promoted Gregory amidst belief that he played a major role in the team’s 2024 NBA Draft, where Phoenix selected Virginia defensive stalwart Ryan Dunn and Marquette’s versatile forward Oso Ighodaro. Internally, sources suggest Gregory’s fingerprints were all over the draft process, a sentiment reinforced by public framing following his promotion.
But that narrative, while convenient, may be oversimplified — and misleading.
Multiple league sources and reports indicate that the final calls on Dunn and Ighodaro weren’t made by Gregory, but rather by assistant GM Gerald Madkins, who joined the Suns in 2023 after holding a similar assistant GM role with the New York Knicks from 2017–20, brought nearly two decades of personnel and scouting experience to the table. His resume includes stops in Houston, New Orleans and the Clippers, where his ability to identify under-the-radar talent was widely respected.
Sources confirm that Madkins and their personnel team — including David Sevush (manager of player personnel evaluation), and scouts Charles Payne and Darrel Johnson — were central in pushing for the selections of Dunn and Ighodaro, valuing their defensive upside and cultural fit within a roster built around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
Sources tell me that if Gregory would have picked he would have chosen Kyle Filipowski, a Duke product and the Utah Jazz’s 32nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Filipowski is currently a two-way product for the Jazz and their G-League affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars.
However, despite their contributions, Madkins, Sevush, Payne, and Johnson are all reportedly out of the organization. While their departures haven’t been officially announced, sources familiar with the Suns’ internal discussions confirm that the exits are not coincidental — they reflect a broader organizational reshuffling that’s left many inside the franchise stunned.
There’s a belief that no one knows who’s in charge, one high-ranking league source said.
“This is a horror movie,” they shared.
Durant’s Position in the Chaos
The Suns’ turmoil hasn’t gone unnoticed by the team’s stars either — particularly Kevin Durant. According to my reporting, Durant was assured by Suns owner Mat Ishbia that he would not be traded, even as other teams — including the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards — made exploratory calls about his availability.
One offer from Washington, I’m told, centered around Kyle Kuzma and draft compensation.
The context is important: Durant was not just another star on the roster. His commitment to Phoenix came after a high-stakes trade in 2023 that stripped the Suns of much of their depth and future picks. Around the league, the Durant-Ishbia relationship was viewed as pivotal to the franchise’s credibility. That’s part of why Ishbia’s reassurances — and the instability that’s followed — have left many wondering how long that trust can be sustained.
Misaligned Vision
While James Jones — the architect of Phoenix’s 2021 Finals run — remains with the team as a senior advisor, his influence seems to have gradually waned under Ishbia. With Gregory now elevated and the experienced personnel staff around him exiting, the Suns are increasingly defined by a front office that operates less like a brain trust and more like a patchwork of internally promoted loyalists.
While Gregory is seen as a smart basketball mind and trusted voice in the building, his background is in player development, not roster construction. His promotion leaves many wondering whether the Suns are consolidating power based on familiarity rather than track record — a shift that could carry serious consequences as the team approaches another make-or-break season.
As Phoenix attempts to retool around its core and navigate the luxury tax, the draft should have been a moment of cohesion — a reset toward sustainable team-building. Instead, it may be remembered as the point when experienced talent evaluators like Madkins were pushed out, and a front office that once had layers of veteran insight became thinner and more volatile.
The Suns have made their bet on Brian Gregory. But if the fallout from the draft — and the precarious standing of a future Hall of Famer in Durant — is any indication, the franchise’s biggest challenge might not be talent.
It’s trust. It’s structure. And it’s the ability to stop the bleeding before the whole thing caves in.
