Isiah Thomas won't join Phoenix Suns front office contrary to report, Mat Ishbia spokesperson says
BROOKLYN – New Phoenix Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas are friends.
Thomas led Ishbia’s hometown Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles.
They’ve known each other for some time and Thomas was in Phoenix during Ishbia’s visit last month that including him attending two Suns games at Footprint Center.
But that appears as far as it will go.
A spokesperson for Ishbia told The Republic that Thomas won’t have a role in the Suns front office, as reported by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, or be part of the team’s transition into new ownership.
Phoenix Suns new owner Mat Ishbia intends to bring on Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas to have a prominent role in the front office, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 8, 2023
Ishbia received final transaction approval Tuesday afternoon as he bought the Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury for $4 billion. The report of Thomas joining the Suns' front office drew a huge reaction on social media with a large contingent of Suns fans taking issue with it.
Thomas was accused of sexual harassment by Anucha Browne Sanders back in 2007 when he was head coach of the Knicks. She was awarded $11.6 million in punitive damages from Madison Square Garden and James L. Dolan.
The NBA did a 10-month investigation of Robert Sarver after an ESPN report in November 2021 that he allegedly created a “toxic” work environment during his tenure as team owner that began in 2004.
Sarver was suspended for a year from all activities involving the Suns and Mercury and fined $10 million for ''workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies'' found during the investigation.
The NBA statement said the firm's investigation concluded that Sarver “engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards, as reflected in team and league rules and policies. This conduct included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.”
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Isiah Thomas won't join Suns front office contrary to report
