Chris Paul, a 12-time All-Star, and Landry Shamet were sent to the Wizards as part of the package that landed Beal. Franchise stalwarts Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were shipped to Brooklyn in the Durant deal. The Phoenix roster is almost unrecognizable from this point one year ago. The answer to that last question? Pretty fast. “You just go out and say ‘What can we do and how fast can we do it?’” “When you have that type of clarity, it’s easy,” Jones said. Maybe most importantly, Ishbia has deep pockets and a desire to win. Ishbia was a walk-on under Michigan State's Tom Izzo while Jones played for another hoops icon at Miami in Leonard Hamilton. Ishbia and Jones are roughly the same age and quickly bonded over their college basketball experiences and shared vision of what builds a winner. Instead, he's become a part of the team's inner-circle braintrust, combining with Ishiba and newly-hired CEO Josh Bartelstein. Widely-respected coach Monty Williams was fired and many figured Jones would be next. Ishbia's arrival in Phoenix - he bought the team for roughly $4 billion last winter from the embattled Robert Sarver - was quickly followed by wholesale changes, particulary after the Suns were blown out by the Denver Nuggets on their home court in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. The fact that Jones is still around to help make the decisions is a bit of a surprise. Durant and Beal will team with a handful of holdovers like Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton next season as the Suns try to capture the NBA title that's eluded the franchise since it was formed in 1968. The Suns' recent moves certainly give the team a chance. “I’m a guy who is singularly focused on winning, being the best teammate I can be, and being a part of the solution to the problem every team is trying to solve: How do we win a championship?” Jones said. Jones helped land 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in a trade deadline deal last season and was also instrumental in bringing three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to the desert in a more recent offseason blockbuster. Jones, 42, is one of the unlikely architects of the Phoenix Suns recent rebuild under aggressive new owner Mat Ishbia. His second career as an NBA executive is showing similar long-term strength. PHOENIX (AP) - James Jones was a survivor during his 14-year NBA career, a 49th overall pick from Miami who carved out a reputation as a valuable role player, contributing to three championship teams.
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