The Suns “named a new head of basketball operations” Thursday, promoting VP Brian Gregory to be the franchise’s new GM as James Jones “transitions to a role as senior adviser for the organization,” according to Shams Charania of ESPN.com. Gregory worked “closely with Suns officials in the front office over the past two years” and now “assumes a more prominent, day-to-day position.” Jones has been Suns GM since 2019, winning executive of the year for the 2020-21 season. But after the team finished 36-46 this season, the Suns are “undergoing a summer of major changes,” firing coach Mike Budenholzer on April 14 and “restructuring their basketball operations.” The Suns also elevated Oronde Taliaferro to assistant GM and “added basketball operations responsibilities to Chief Innovation Officer Paul Rivers’ duties” (ESPN.com, 5/1). The AP’s David Brandt writes Gregory will have “several decisions to make this summer, including what to do” with F Kevin Durant, who is under contract for next year but also “represents one of the few valuable trade chips the franchise could move” (AP, 5/1).
