From his opening press conference, new Suns owner Mat Ishbia denied Isiah Thomas has any role with the organization. Nobody seems to believe him, with Thomas sitting next to Ishbia when he takes his ball and holds it from Jokić in the Denver series, and reports Thomas was informally advising Ishbia and the other Suns’ executives (although that role may be shrinking).
Then there was Chris Paul after the Suns traded him to Washington (he eventually was moved again to Golden State): “It’s is part of the business, and what you realize is that no one owes you anything. No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be. But when it comes through and my son texts me, I realize that, you know, Mat [Ishbia] and Isiah [Thomas], I guess, just wanted to go in a different direction.”
Chris Paul doesn’t drop things like that accidentally (that doesn’t make it objectively true, it’s how CP3 perceives things, but it was not an inadvertent statement). Now Ishbia says he has gone to Thomas for advice but denied he was involved in the Paul trade, part of an interview with the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin.
How much influence does Thomas have? Good question. It’s impossible to know from the outside; everyone is spinning things to put themselves in the best light, including Ishbia. As an owner, Ishbia should have different voices in his ear as consultants, not people who think alike but a variety of perspectives that sometimes do not agree. More information is better. How much influence Thomas should have depends on what you think of Thomas, he’s got a lot of fans around the league, but his track record as an NBA executive is unimpressive (to be kind).
In the end, it’s on Ishbia. Not who he listens to, but Ishbia. He signs the checks and has set the tone and course for this team. If it doesn’t work, it reflects on him, not Thomas.
