The Phoenix Suns have hired a new general manager.
The Suns have transitioned out James Jones as their GM and are moving him to a senior advisor role. In his place, they are promoting Brian Gregory to serve as both GM and head of basketball operations.
The Suns hired Gregory in June 2024 and have now put him in charge of many franchise decisions. This will be a new role for him, as he has deep experience as a head coach. He has served as a head coach for Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida during his career.
Gregory getting the job as the Suns’ GM is an excellent example of why “who you know” is essential. Gregory served as an assistant coach on Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003. Current Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who took over the team in 2022, was a walk-on point guard at Michigan State from 1999 to 2002, meaning Gregory was one of his coaches.
Jones had been the Suns’ GM since 2019 and was even named the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2020-2021. Phoenix had an extremely disappointing season, finishing 36-46 and missing the playoffs entirely. The team reached the NBA Finals in 2021, which began a streak of four straight seasons in the playoffs. That streak was broken in 2025.
