Ishbia Defends Durant Comments as Brooks Backs Suns Owner

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is standing by his public remarks about Kevin Durant after the former Phoenix star challenged his characterization of the team's roster strategy. The exchange, which unfolded on social media ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, also drew a response from Suns forward Dillon Brooks, who praised Ishbia's approach to changing the team's culture.

According to Sports Yahoo, Ishbia revisited the dispute Tuesday after an interviewer asked whether he regretted his social media posts. The disagreement began Saturday, following an interview with CNBC Sports in which Ishbia discussed the roster decisions made after he acquired the franchise in 2023.

Ishbia said the team's early roster construction did not match his vision and argued that assembling highly talented players alone does not guarantee a championship. Durant objected to the characterization, emphasizing his performance during his Phoenix tenure and criticizing Brooks, who arrived in Phoenix in the trade that sent Durant to Houston.

In a video excerpt shared by basketball insider Khristina Williams, Ishbia dismissed the suggestion that he regretted the exchange.

"Not at all," Ishbia said.

He maintained that Durant had misunderstood the original interview and said his subsequent posts were intended to clarify his position rather than blame the former Suns star.

"I mean, I don't know if you saw [the interview], but I said what I said. I think [Durant] misinterpreted it. He just kind of read some headline rather than actually watching the video, and sometimes he does that.

And so he misunderstood it, and I figured I'd clarify it for him. But I feel good about what I said about the NBA and how it works," Ishbia said.

In the CNBC Sports interview, Ishbia explained that Phoenix had lacked a consistent organizational direction when he first took control of the franchise. He described the experience as a lesson in prioritizing shared values, work ethic and a clearly defined approach to winning.

"There was not a defined culture and North Star where we were going, and therefore bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn't necessarily lead to championships," Ishbia said.

He continued by emphasizing the importance of recruiting people who share the organization's objectives and expectations.

"You've got to find guys and people that are aligned with the vision of where we're going, the work ethic, the attitude, the care factor around winning, the grind every single day," Ishbia said.

The Suns owner acknowledged that his initial approach had not established those priorities.

"We have to define what we're about in Phoenix, and stick with it, and believe in our vision and our path," Ishbia said.

He added that his early decisions focused too heavily on acquiring talent without first establishing a consistent organizational identity.

"And I didn't do that at the beginning. I just kind of threw money at the problem," Ishbia said.

Brooks, meanwhile, publicly supported Ishbia in an Instagram Story posted Saturday. His message connected Durant's departure with the cultural changes underway in Phoenix.

"Thanks Matt for cleaning up that stench in the locker room before I came #culture," Brooks wrote.

Durant spent just over two seasons with Phoenix between 2023 and 2025 before the Suns traded him to the Houston Rockets in a deal that included Brooks. The move followed a period in which Phoenix reached the playoffs in two of Durant's three seasons with the franchise but never advanced beyond the second round, according to Bleacher Report.

The franchise had previously reached the NBA Finals in 2021 and finished the following season with a 64-18 record. During the 2022-23 campaign, Phoenix held a 30-26 record before acquiring Durant in a major trade with the Brooklyn Nets.

Despite expectations being lower after Durant's departure, the Suns finished the 2025-26 regular season at 45-37 and reached the playoffs before losing in the first round. Brooks played a significant role, averaging career highs of 20.2 points per game alongside 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists, according to Bleacher Report.

As Phoenix begins its 2026-27 campaign, the dispute adds another public chapter to the relationship between the franchise and its former star. The Suns are scheduled to open their season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday before hosting the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, according to Bright Side of the Sun.