Mat Ishbia makes NBA’s biggest trade in first week as Suns owner

Mat Ishbia is proving to be an aggressive owner just days into the job, making a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant.

Less than 12 hours. That’s all it took for Mat Ishbia to alter the NBA’s 2022-23 landscape.

Ishbia was announced as the new owner of the Suns just a couple of days ago and he had his introductory press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Later on Wednesday evening, he made the biggest trade of the NBA season thus far, and that’s saying a lot considering Kyrie Irving was just traded to the Mavericks just a few days earlier.

According to multiple reports on Wednesday night, the Suns made the blockbuster deal of the season, trading for superstar Kevin Durant.

BREAKING: Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Suns, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/09hd9mbxfa

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 9, 2023

Admittedly, the Suns are giving up quite a bit for Durant, sending Brooklyn Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four future first-round picks. That’s a lot of assets for a 34-year-old superstar but Durant is arguably the most dominant scorer in the league today and when he gets healthy, the Suns are going to push for one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference.

Heck, Phoenix may have just become the NBA’s title favorite overnight. Literally.

Phoenix now has a ‘Big 4’ with Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton. Although losing Bridges is going to hurt, this team is built to contend with just about anyone.

And Ishbia is to thank.

The former Spartan walk-on showed that he’s ready to win an NBA title immediately and he doesn’t care how much it’s going to cost. Ishbia didn’t become an NBA owner just to sit around, sip on some expensive drinks courtside, and invite his friends to games. He’s playing to win. And win immediately.

Who would have thought that Ishbia would become one of the richest people in America, buy the Suns, help fund Mel Tucker’s massive contract, strike a huge NIL deal with Michigan State athletes, and make a trade that alters the entire 2022-23 NBA season in just a few years?