Suns continue whirlwind of change under new owner Mat Ishbia

Nobody seems completely safe — not even 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul — as the Michigan native continues his quest to deliver Phoenix its first NBA title.

The aggressive owner oversaw his latest big move Sunday, when the Suns put together the framework for a trade that would send Paul, Landry Shamet and other compensation to the Washington Wizards in exchange for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal.

Paul — making an appearance on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ on Monday morning to promote his new book — seemed just as shocked by the development as everyone else.

“I was surprised, too,” Paul said. “I found out on the plane, yesterday, flying here for this. In this league, anything can happen, so you just figure out what’s next.”

Paul came to the desert in 2020, bringing instant credibility to the Suns, who had languished near the bottom of the standings for the better part of a decade. The point guard formed a formidable backcourt with Devin Booker, and the Suns came agonizingly close to a championship, winning the first two games of the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 before losing the next four.

The Suns were also good in the past two regular seasons, but suffered back-to-back embarrassing playoff exits on their home floor.

That was apparently enough for Ishbia to decide that wholesale changes needed to be made.

Ishbia — who took over control of the team from the embattled Robert Sarver in February — hasn’t been shy about making big moves, even before their latest playoff exit. The Suns added 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and a bevy of first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets.

The bold move failed to produce a championship, so Ishbia continued his overhaul.

The Suns recently fired coach Monty Williams, who was the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2022, and brought in Frank Vogel, who led the Lakers to a title in the Florida bubble in 2020. Now the team is moving on from the 38-year-old Paul and bringing in Beal, who has averaged more than 22 points per game over his 11-year career.

More changes could be on the horizon.

Victor Wembanyama has arrived in the U.S. for the NBA draft.

The plane from France carrying Wembanyama — who almost certainly will be taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s draft — arrived at Newark International Airport outside of New York City on Monday.

And even before becoming an NBA star, he got his first official taste of NBA stardom.

Some fans knew what flight he was on and when the plane was landing, and many were waiting. Wembanyama cheerfully signed autographs, scrawling his name onto basketballs and Spurs jerseys — some even with his name already on the back — before making his way into a waiting vehicle.

“I don’t know how they knew what flight I was on, but it’s fun,” Wembanyama said in a video distributed on the NBA’s social media channels as he walked through the New Jersey airport, ducking his head to avoid some of the signage bolted to the terminal’s ceiling. “It’s different, seeing that you can have such impact on people.”

The Golden State Warriors want to keep Draymond Green, yet the team is prepared for him to formally decline his $27.5 million player option for the final year of his contract next season and become an unrestricted free agent seeking a long-term deal.

The Athletic reported Monday that Green would opt out. Green, who said in April he wants to retire with Golden State, would have to notify the Warriors of his decision by June 30.

“I saw the report, too. Until we get the paperwork and the filing we can’t really comment or say much,” new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said Monday at his introductory news conference. “I will say it, I think Steve (Kerr) has said it, I’ll reiterate, we really want Draymond back. What he means to this organization and this team in terms of trying to win at the highest level, we feel like we have to have him. So that’s very important.”