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Suns owner is happy with where new coach, GM are with team<\/p>\n
Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia shared his thoughts on the progress new coach Jordan Ott, general manager Brian Gregory have made ahead of the season.<\/p>\n
Diannie Chavez and Diana Payan \/ The Republic<\/p>\n
Steve Nash said a two-letter word while watching a Suns’ open-gym run this summer as he spoke with general manager Brian Gregory.<\/p>\n
It still takes Gregory\u2019s breath away.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lives right around the corner from me, he\u2019s been in the gym quite a bit,\u201d Gregory said about Nash at the team\u2019s media day Sept. 24 at PHX Arena. \u201cWhen Steve and I talked with (Suns team owner Mat Ishbia) and we got this thing done, about two days later, we were on the phone talking and he was at one of our open runs and one of our workouts just talking about basketball and he said, \u2018we\u2019 and I was like, ‘damn.’\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the greatest Suns ever is back as a senior adviser<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty special because it\u2019s back to \u2018we,\u2019\u201d Gregory said. \u201cBack to where it belongs and he\u2019s going to make a huge impact for us not only for me and the rest of our front office, but with (Suns head coach Jordan Ott) and his staff. \u00a0We want to bring in highly intelligent, high-character guys, no ego where the Phoenix Suns<\/a> mean something and that\u2019s Steve Nash.\u201d<\/p>\n The two-time NBA MVP and Naismith Hall of Famer was inside the Suns team practice facility on Thursday, Sept. 25, for Day 1 of training camp wearing shorts, a t-shirt and looking as if he can still play.<\/p>\n \u201cSteve Nash being in the area and being a Phoenix Sun was a no brainer,\u201d Ott said after practice.<\/p>\n Ott was an assistant under Nash during his two full seasons as the Brooklyn Nets<\/a>\u2019 head coach (2020-22). Nash was let go after a 2-5 start in 2022-23.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just what opportunity he wanted and how we could help him feel the best to help this group,\u201d Ott added.<\/p>\n Nash stood on the court after practice talking with another former Suns player, Cedric Ceballos, near where Devin Booker sank free throws at a basket on the far end.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it,\u201d said Suns forward Dillon Brooks about his fellow Canadian. \u201cHe\u2019s got so much information to give at all levels and all positions. He\u2019s going to be a great tool for us to use.\u201d<\/p>\n Good to have him in the building.<\/p>\n \u201cHis intelligence level is off the charts and incomparable feel for the game and knowledge of the game,\u201d Gregory said. \u201c\u2026 Everything we talk about that we want our players to embody and our identity, that\u2019s Steve Nash. You don\u2019t have to look any further than that.\u201d<\/p>\n Nash won back-to-back NBA MVPs (2005, 2006) with the Suns in orchestrating Mike D\u2019Antoni\u2019s \u2018Seven Seconds or Less\u2019 offense. He played 10 of his 18 NBA seasons in Phoenix and is a ‘Ring of Honor’ inductee.<\/p>\n Amazon Prime hired Nash as an NBA analyst for the 2025-26 season, but he will be able to work for the Suns.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Phoenix Suns mean something to him,\u201d Gregory said. \u201cSo him working for us means a little more and I like that.\u201d<\/p>\n The Suns initially shifted James Jones from general manager to senior adviser in May when elevating Gregory from director of player programming to general manager.<\/p>\n In a news release, the Suns spelled out Jones\u2019 duties as senior adviser.<\/p>\n \u201cJones will remain involved with front office decisions, including advising and working closely with Gregory on team and personnel decisions,\u201d the news release stated.<\/p>\n Bringing Steve Nash back helps create right culture, Suns owner says<\/p>\n Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia spoke about the impact of bringing franchise legend Steve Nash on as a senior adviser for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n Diannie Chavez and Diana Payan \/ The Republic<\/p>\n Two months later, the NBA named Jones its executive vice president, head of basketball operations.<\/p>\n The Suns have put Nash in that senior adviser role.<\/p>\n \u201cThe insights that he\u2019s going to be able to give our coaching staff, our players and myself are going to be tremendous and I think will be very, very impactful,\u201d Gregory said. \u201cThere\u2019s an expertise, there\u2019s an ability to analyze. There\u2019s an ability to independently evaluate different things from players to knowledge of the league, players around the league. For me, it\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Have opinions about the current state of the\u00a0Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at\u00a0dmrankin@gannett.com<\/a>\u00a0or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at\u00a0@DuaneRankin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Support local journalism.\u00a0Start your online subscription<\/a>.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/636343549536268006-USATSI-8893222.jpg\"\/)
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