Browsing: Suns

Luka DonÄić didn’t disappoint in his preseason debut on Tuesday night.

While the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 113-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns, DonÄić finished with 25 points in just 22 minutes of action.

He also recorded seven rebounds and four assists, shooting 7-of-15 from the field as well as 4-of-8 from three-point territory. While it’s important not to put too much stock into the plus-minus of a single preseason game, it’s still worth noting that the Lakers outscored the Suns by 11 points with DonÄić on the floor.

Despite the defeat, fans were amazed with his performance.

Austin Reaves also looked sharp offensively, finishing with 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting while pulling down four rebounds and dishing out two assists.

Meanwhile, Bronny James recorded seven points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 22 minutes of action. James shot 3-of-8 from the field.

As for DonÄić, expectations are high ahead of his first full season as a member of the Lakers.

The five-time All-Star is coming off an eventful summer in which he excelled at EuroBasket 2025 with Slovenia, averaging 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game on 45.8/32.1/87.8 shooting splits.

Los Angeles will open its 2025-26 regular season against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21.

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  Baxter HolmesOct 14, 2025, 02:28 PM ET

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  Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.

Phoenix Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia has countersued two Suns minority owners, saying that they insisted he buy out their ownership shares “at an exorbitant premium,” according to a copy of the complaint obtained by ESPN.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Delaware State Court. The two Suns minority owners are Scott Seldin and Andy Kohlberg, both of whom were holdovers from the previous regime under former Suns owner Robert Sarver. Seldin and Kohlberg sued the team in August, alleging that Ishbia has refused access to internal records.

ESPN previously reported that the Suns sent a letter in August to Kohlberg and Seldin, in which the team said that the two men demanded that the Suns buy their ownership share for $825 million, a figure that would place the team’s value at about $6 billion — a 60% increase from the value when Ishbia bought his controlling interest in 2023.

The Suns said in the letter, which ESPN obtained, that they have no obligation to buy Seldin and Kohlberg out.

“When Mat Ishbia bought the Suns and Mercury, he couldn’t have been clearer with investors: he was going to invest in the teams, the fans, and the community,” a spokesman for Ishbia said Tuesday. “Every investor had the choice at that point — sell at premium or stay in and invest alongside him. Andy Kohlberg and Scott Seldin want it both ways. They don’t want to invest in the teams, but they are demanding a payday significantly higher than what Mat originally offered, which was still over 20x their original investment. That’s not how it works, and we’re confident we’ll prevail in court.”

An attorney representing Kohlberg and Seldin didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

The August lawsuit from Seldin and Kohlberg was the sixth against the Suns since November 2024. The other five were by current or former employees. Some of their allegations include discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful termination.

During a Sept. 24 appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Ishbia addressed the lawsuits.

“Obviously anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason they want, for anything they want,” Ishbia said. “How many lawsuits have we actually lost? The answer is zero. How many will we lose? Zero.

“The way I look at it a little differently than other people is we don’t settle. We don’t settle with someone. You want to say, give me $30,000 and I won’t file a lawsuit? I say file a lawsuit. We didn’t do anything wrong. If we do something wrong, we take care of people, but I’m not going to be leveraged by people.”

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  Dave McMenaminOct 13, 2025, 04:59 PM ET

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  • Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
  • Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Luka Doncic will make his preseason debut when the Los Angeles Lakers play on the road Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, coach JJ Redick said.

Doncic sat out L.A.’s 1-2 start to the preseason, with the Lakers looking to lessen the 26-year-old star’s workload coming off his monthlong commitment playing for the Slovenian national team in EuroBasket.

After the Suns game, the Lakers finish out their six-game preseason slate with a game in Las Vegas against Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Wednesday and a home game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

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Redick said that Doncic would also play in either the Mavs or Kings game. It stands to reason that the Kings game would be more likely, considering the Mavs game falls on the second night of a back-to-back.

Redick said he will work with Doncic’s athletic trainer, Javy Barrio, to determine how much Doncic will play, but the Lakers will err on the side of caution in Phoenix.

“I would say there will most likely be a ramp-up from Game 1 to Game 2 in Luka’s minutes,” Redick said. “What that total number looks like, we’re still talking to Javy and Luka about what kind of makes sense.”

When asked how he planned to use Doncic, Redick deadpanned: “Give him the ball.”

Marcus Smart, who has been out for the first three preseason games because of Achilles tendinopathy, also will make his Lakers debut in Phoenix, according to Redick. The coach added that Austin Reaves will also play against the Suns.

With opening night against the Golden State Warriors just more than a week away next Tuesday, Redick said he still has to figure out his starting lineup. LeBron James will be out at least another two to three weeks with sciatica on his right side before being reevaluated.

“You want to put your five best players on the court as much as possible. You also want to have balance with every lineup. When we do our substitution metrics: Who is going to guard? Who is going to create? Are we going to have enough shooting? So you’re doing that with every lineup you put out there, including the starting lineup,” Redick said.

“We’re still working through that, and obviously losing LeBron for the start of the year in some ways complicates things a little bit. So, we have a week to figure that out, and I think it will reveal itself to us.”

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When Luka Doncic plays in his first exhibition game of the season for the Lakers against the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night, Coach JJ Redick said the plan with his star is pretty simple.

“Give him the ball,†Redick said, laughing.

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Redick paused for a second.

“You talking about minutes?” he asked.

Redick said they are “still working through what that looks like†with the Lakers†staff and Doncicâ€s team.

“I think very likely it’ll be some form of a ramp-up from tomorrow to whenever the second game is that he plays in,†Redick said. “What that looks like in terms of the total minute, I don’t know.”

But one thing is for certain when Doncic steps on the court with his teammates.

“Yeah, he’ll touch the basketball,†Redick said.

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The Lakers then play a back-to-back game Wednesday night in Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks, Doncicâ€s old team, but itâ€s highly unlikely he plays in that game.

The Lakers finish their preseason against the Sacramento Kings Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, which is when Doncic probably will play, especially since he said last week that he wanted to play in two preseason games.

The Lakers open the regular season Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors at home and that is the main thing Doncic is getting ready for.

Heâ€s done more in practice, giving his teammates a view of what Doncic is like.

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“Oh, he’s moving great,†Jarred Vanderbilt said. “Everything that I’ve seen from him, he’s being vocal. He’s leading the charge. He’s being everything we need him to be right now. So, we’re happy to have him out there right now during this week, him getting some good practices and running with us, and just starting to build that momentum towards the regular season.â€

Etc.

Redick said Marcus Smart, who has been recovering from an Achilles tendinopathy injury, will play against the Suns. … Redick said Maxi Kleber (quad) participated in the Lakers†stay-ready game Monday.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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The Los Angeles Lakers opened preseason with a 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, California’s Acrisure Arena on Friday.

L.A., which played this one without superstars Luka DonÄić (rest) and LeBron James (nerve irritation in the glute), guards Marcus Smart (Achilles tendinopathy) and Gabe Vincent (knee) and forward Maxi Kleber (quad), fell behind 31-16 after the first quarter.

The Lakers never really recovered from there, with numerous players enduring rough shooting nights, including Bronny James, who made just 1-of-12 shots (1-of-8 from three). He did make 5-of-6 free throws en route to eight points, five rebounds and two assists.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton made his debut in purple and gold and struggled in 18 minutes, missing both of his shots, committing four turnovers and scoring just one point off a free throw. He did add eight rebounds and a pair of steals.

Jarred Vanderbilt also scored just one point in 21 minutes, missing all four of his shots. Dalton Knecht missed 2-of-10 shots en route to six points.

Overall, the Lakers shot just 31.1 percent from the field and 17.1 percent from three. L.A. was led by Austin Reaves (20 points) and R.J. Davis (14 points).

The defense also struggled in this one, and Lakers reporter Jovan Buha noted that’s a problem right now.

For the Suns, Devin Booker led the way with 24 points, while Grayson Allen added 13. Jalen Green, who was traded from the Houston Rockets in the Kevin Durant deal, sat this one out as he works his way back from a hamstring strain.

Overall, this was an ugly loss for the Lakers, but it’s only preseason after all, and L.A. didn’t have its full roster. Fans reacted to the performance.

The Lakers’ next preseason game is Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco’s Chase Center.

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The 2025-26 NBA season is here! Over the next few weeks, we’re examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.

2024-25 finish

• Record: 36-46 (11th in the West, missed playoffs)

Offseason moves

• Additions: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Jordan Goodwin, Jared Butler, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea, Isaiah Livers, CJ Huntley, general manager Brian Gregory and head coach Jordan Ott

• Subtractions: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones, Mason Plumlee, Vasilije Micić, Cody Martin, Monte Morris, TyTy Washington Jr., Damion Lee, Bol Bol, Jalen Bridges, general manager James Jones and head coach Mike Budenholzer

Devin Booker signed a max extension with the Suns this summer. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

The Big Question: Can the Suns rebuild a respectable team on the fly?

OK, so … that didnâ€t work.

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Donâ€t believe me? … Wait, really? Seems kind of odd that youâ€d dispute this, considering the Suns finished 10 games under .500, missed the playoffs for the first time since the bubble, fired their head coach (again), traded away the future Hall of Famer theyâ€d estranged by surreptitiously trying to move him at the 2025 trade deadline, and used the stretch provision to eat nearly $100 million worth of the former All-Star that theyâ€d mortgaged what remained of their future to get.

OK, well, if you donâ€t believe me, just ask the guy who signed off on it all.

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

“After last season, we said, ‘That old stuff that we did? It didnâ€t work,’†Suns owner Matt Ishbia told reporters at Phoenixâ€s media day session.

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See? (One hopes that “trade for older stars†isnâ€t the only “old stuff†that the Suns plan to leave in the past.)

Out with the old, in with the new, in an offseason overhaul that has turned the Suns from the third-oldest roster in the NBA last season to whatâ€s projected to be a middle-of-the-pack group this season. The idea: Get younger, bigger, more athletic; develop more camaraderie and esprit de corps; form a new organizational ethos, developing an identity predicated on toughness, physicality and defense — a team, frankly, that sounds a lot like the one to whom they just traded Kevin Durant — while installing a more aggressive defense and demanding a more competitive, more enjoyable-to-watch brand of ball than what Phoenix mustered during what Devin Booker recently called the two toughest years of his career. (Hereâ€s where we remind you that the Suns didnâ€t win more than 24 games in his first four pro seasons.)

Good thing, then, that one of the key pieces coming back to the Valley in the KD deal was Dillon Brooks — a perennial habitual line-stepper and tone-setting, vibe-shifting perimeter stopper who played an integral role in Houstonâ€s transformation from one of the NBAâ€s most permissive defenses into one that finished seventh and fourth in defensive efficiency after his arrival.

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The 29-year-old was one of just three players in the NBA last season to rank in the 95th percentile or higher in average matchup difficulty, individual perimeter defense and defensive positional versatility, according to The BBall Indexâ€s metrics, alongside Jeremy Sochan and Dorian Finney-Smith. He did so while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range on 6.3 attempts in 31.8 minutes per game across 75 starts — all career highs.

The hope: Veterans Brooks, Royce Oâ€Neale and EuroLeague standout Nigel Hayes-Davis take on top opposing options and wreak havoc in the gaps; young wings like second-year forward Ryan Dunn and rookie Rasheer Fleming follow suit, generating deflections, steals and blocks; Booker and Jalen Green just hold their own at the point of attack; an intriguing but unproven center room led by ex-Hornets Mark Williams and Nick Richards, backed by rising sophomore Oso Ighodaro and 7-foot-2 No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach, provides more rim protection than the Suns have seen in a minute.

[Get more Suns news: Phoenix team feed]

Get all that to work out, and maybe Phoenix has the positional size, quickness, athleticism and tenacity to climb out of the bottom 10 and back toward league-average defensive efficiency. Get that, and find a path toward more efficient offense in no-traditional-point-guard lineups helmed by the newly re-extended Booker and the inarguably explosive Green than they did when Booker, Durant and Beal failed to mesh, and maybe the Suns wonâ€t wander through the desert in their search for respectability for quite as long as most predict.

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Would that kind of change result in a dramatic shift in the win column? Maybe not right away. But this yearâ€s Suns arenâ€t going to be measured in wins and losses; theyâ€re going to be measured in success.

Donâ€t believe me? Tell â€em, Mat:

See? (Câ€mon, you know what he means.)

Best-case scenario

Booker turns the page on the failed experiments of the last two seasons and turns in the kind of full-tilt scoring and playmaking season that us “Point Book†heads have been clamoring for, vying for the league lead in scoring while putting up career-best assist numbers and vaulting back into the conversation for an All-NBA spot. Green finds shot-selection and rim-pressure religion, blossoming into an increasingly efficient and exciting second banana for a better-than-expected offense. Williams finally stays healthy, turning those flashes he showed in Charlotte into consistent two-way impact. The Suns grind their way to play-in contention; this time, that doesnâ€t feel like a disappointment.

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If everything falls apart

The vibe shift is short-lived. New coach Jordan Ott looks overmatched, the defense doesnâ€t come together, and Booker and Green mesh about as well as Book/KD/Beal did — which is to say, very badly. Add it all up, and the Suns, elevated levels of scrappiness aside, look like one of the worst teams in the West. And with their 2026 first-rounder leveraged to all hell, no tradable firsts through 2032 and $23 million worth of waived-and-stretched salary on their books for the next half-decade, they canâ€t even enjoy the fruits of the badness; the long walk through the desert is just starting.

2025-26 schedule

• Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. Sacramento

Even in a roundly disappointing season, the Suns had the point differential of a 34-win team with Booker on the court, according to Cleaning the Glass. If the star guard — who last season played more than 70 games for the first time since 2017 — stays healthy, Phoenix would seem to stand a good chance of flirting with a win total closer to the mid-to-high 30s.

More season previews

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

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West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • Los Angeles Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

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Sep 24, 2025, 04:10 PM ET

PHOENIX — Defiant Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia says he’s not worried about the multiple lawsuits his franchise is facing, with claims ranging from discrimination to wrongful termination.

Ishbia called the lawsuits a “money grab” on Wednesday at Suns media day.

The franchise have been sued multiple times since 2024. Most recently, two minority owners of the Suns sued Ishbia in August, demanding to see records in order to investigate the status of the team’s business and financial condition.

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“As you guys know, anyone can file a lawsuit on any day they want for any reason they want,” Ishbia said. “I could file a lawsuit for that question, right? But the truth is, you’ve actually got to win a lawsuit.

“Where I’m different than most successful people, or people that you say have a lot of money, is we don’t settle. So if we don’t do anything wrong, I’m not paying someone. If their threat is they’re going to go to the media and write [about] a lawsuit, have fun. Cool. Write it.”

Ishbia continued: “I hope you guys all report on how many lawsuits we actually lose. Because we haven’t lost one of them, and we’re not going to lose any of them, to be honest, because they’re ridiculous.”

Among the lawsuits the team is facing:

In July, the Suns confirmed they fired Gene Traylor, a former security manager who filed a lawsuit against the team in May alleging discrimination, harassment and unlawful retaliation. The team said at the time that Traylor was terminated after an outside investigation found he’d violated company policies regarding confidential information.

Earlier in July, former Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for complaints about unequal treatment.

In November, Andrea Trischan sued the Suns, alleging racial discrimination and unlawful retaliation that led to her termination. Trischan was the team’s former manager of diversity, equity and inclusion for about 10 months in 2022 and 2023.

Ishbia, a mortgage executive, bought a majority stake of the Suns and Phoenix Mercury from embattled owner Robert Sarver for $4 billion. Ishbia and his brother, Justin, said then that they would be acquiring more than 50% of the franchises, which includes the entirety of Sarver’s share as well as some holdings from minority partners.

The sale was officially approved in February 2023.

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  Baxter HolmesSep 23, 2025, 02:43 PM ET

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  Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.

The Phoenix Suns, while facing several lawsuits from current and former employees, told employees this spring that in order to retain their jobs they needed to sign an agreement limiting their ability to sue the team over workforce matters, multiple team sources told ESPN.

Suns employees were notified via email on May 27 that they’d be receiving a two-part updated version of the team’s employee handbook — Part A and Part B — with a request to review and agree to the terms within three days, according to documents reviewed by ESPN.

Part A of the handbook constituted 50 pages and covered many of the same topics listed in the 2023 version of the 63-page handbook, including information about the team’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; its respect in the workplace policies and other information about employee benefits, arena rules and more.

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But a four-page Part B — “Confidential information, Intellectual Property, and Dispute Resolution Agreement” — was new, team sources said. The contents were described as contractual obligations, and the document noted that agreeing to them was “a condition of your offer of employment and/or continued employment.” Employees were asked to head to an external website to acknowledge their understanding and acceptance of Parts A and B of the handbook.

Under the passage focused on dispute resolution, which followed a passage on confidential information, the document stated that the Suns and employees would “agree all legal disputes and claims identified below shall be determined exclusively by final and binding individual arbitration.” It further stated that the provision would last beyond that employee’s employment with the company.

The provision covered disputes involving employment discrimination, which is the focus of several lawsuits the team is facing. Such disputes would instead be “submitted exclusively first to confidential mandatory mediation.” There were exceptions, including any disputes that would constitute violations of state or federal laws.

Multiple attorneys unaffiliated with the Suns who spoke with ESPN said such agreements are not unusual but potentially problematic.

“They have been, and are becoming, close to industry standard in corporate America,” said Patrick Hammon, a San Francisco-based corporate litigator who specializes in employment litigation and arbitration. “What makes this situation more unique is that it appears that these new terms are being imposed upon employees mid-stream. Courts [in Arizona and elsewhere] will almost always require such modifications to be supported by ‘consideration’ — meaning the employees need to be getting something, anything, really in exchange for the change to the parties’ legal relationship.

“Imagine having a year-long contract with a neighbor to mow your lawn or babysit your kids for $20 an hour; most would agree that it would feel unfair if, half-way through the year, that neighbor just decided on his or her own to increase that rate to $25/hour. To ensure that the party imposing such terms is doing so fairly, and not just taking advantage of the fact that the other side has grown to expect or rely on the other, courts will generally require that both sides get something during the modification. In Arizona, courts generally will not view ‘continued employment’ as sufficient.”

It’s unclear how many Suns employees signed the agreement.

One of the law firms suing the Suns over allegations of employee discrimination and retaliation calls the process intimidating and distracting.

“From the beginning, we have said we will hold the Phoenix Suns accountable for discrimination and retaliation. Instead of addressing these issues, the organization is pressuring employees to sign away their rights with only three days’ notice or risk losing their jobs,” Cortney Walters, a Florida-based attorney representing several ex-Suns employees who are suing the team, told ESPN. “Mandatory arbitration denies people their day in court and hides systemic problems from the public. This latest move is not an isolated decision. It is part of a continuing pattern of silencing employees rather than confronting discrimination. The Suns’ actions make clear that protecting their image matters more to them than protecting people.”

In a statement to ESPN, Stacey Mitch, the Suns’ Senior Vice President of Communications, said: “This policy is standard at most large organizations including Disney, ESPN, and many other NBA teams. This policy does not result in the waiver of claims.”

ESPN doesn’t require new hires to agree to mandatory arbitration clauses, and there is no such requirement in the Disney Handbook.

The Suns have been sued six times since October 2024. The latest lawsuit, from late August, is from a pair of Suns minority owners who were holdovers from the previous regime under former owner Robert Sarver. The two men are suing the team, alleging that current Suns owner Mat Ishbia has refused access to internal records.

The other five lawsuits were by current or former employees. Some of their allegations include discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful termination.

The Suns have denied the allegations.

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  Baxter HolmesSep 23, 2025, 02:43 PM ET

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  Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.

The Phoenix Suns, while facing several lawsuits from current and former employees, told employees this spring that in order to retain their jobs they needed to sign an agreement limiting their ability to sue the team over workforce matters, multiple team sources told ESPN.

Suns employees were notified via email on May 27 that they’d be receiving a two-part updated version of the team’s employee handbook – Part A and Part B – with a request to review and agree to the terms within three days, according to documents reviewed by ESPN.

Part A of the handbook constituted 50 pages and covered many of the same topics listed in the 2023 version of the 63-page handbook, including information about the team’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; its respect in the workplace policies and other information about employee benefits, arena rules and more.

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But a four-page Part B – “Confidential information, Intellectual Property, and Dispute Resolution Agreement – was new, team sources said. The contents were described as contractual obligations, and the document noted that agreeing to them was “a condition of your offer of employment and/or continued employment.” Employees were asked to head to an external website to acknowledge their understanding and acceptance of Parts A and B of the handbook.

Under the passage focused on dispute resolution, which followed a passage on confidential information, the document stated that the Suns and employees would “agree all legal disputes and claims identified below shall be determined exclusively by final and binding individual arbitration.” It further stated that the provision would last beyond that employee’s employment with the company.

The provision covered disputes including employment discrimination, which is the focus of several lawsuits that the team is facing. Such disputes would instead be “submitted exclusively first to confidential mandatory mediation.” There were exceptions, including any disputes that would constitute violations of state or federal laws.

Multiple attorneys unaffiliated with the Suns who spoke with ESPN said such agreements are not unusual but potentially problematic.

“They have been, and are becoming, close to industry standard in corporate America,” said Patrick Hammon, a San Francisco-based corporate litigator who specializes in employment litigation and arbitration. “What makes this situation more unique is that it appears that these new terms are being imposed upon employees mid-stream. Courts [in Arizona and elsewhere] will almost always require such modifications to be supported by ‘consideration’ – meaning the employees need to be getting something, anything, really in exchange for the change to the parties’ legal relationship.

“Imagine having a year-long contract with a neighbor to mow your lawn or babysit your kids for $20 an hour; most would agree that it would feel unfair if, half-way through the year, that neighbor just decided on his or her own to increase that rate to $25/hour. To ensure that the party imposing such terms is doing so fairly, and not just taking advantage of the fact that the other side has grown to expect or rely on the other, courts will generally require that both sides get something during the modification. In Arizona, courts generally will not view ‘continued employment’ as sufficient.”

It’s unclear how many Suns employees signed the agreement.

One of the law firms suing the Suns over allegations of employee discrimination and retaliation calls the process intimidating and distracting.

“From the beginning, we have said we will hold the Phoenix Suns accountable for discrimination and retaliation. Instead of addressing these issues, the organization is pressuring employees to sign away their rights with only three days’ notice or risk losing their jobs,” Cortney Walters, a Florida-based attorney representing several ex-Suns employees who are suing the team, told ESPN. “Mandatory arbitration denies people their day in court and hides systemic problems from the public. This latest move is not an isolated decision. It is part of a continuing pattern of silencing employees rather than confronting discrimination. The Suns’ actions make clear that protecting their image matters more to them than protecting people.”

In a statement to ESPN, Stacey Mitch, the Suns’ Senior Vice President of Communications, said: “This policy is standard at most large organizations including Disney, ESPN, and many other NBA teams. This policy does not result in the waiver of claims.”

ESPN doesn’t require new hires to agree to mandatory arbitration clauses, and there is no such requirement in the Disney Handbook.

The Suns have been sued six times since October 2024. The latest lawsuit, from late August, is from a pair of Suns minority owners who were holdovers from the previous regime under former owner Robert Sarver. The two men are suing the team, alleging that current Suns owner Mat Ishbia has refused access to internal records.

The other five lawsuits were by current or former employees. Some of their allegations include discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful termination.

The Suns have denied the allegations.

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Before he embarks on his first year with the Houston Rockets, star forward Kevin Durant confirmed a rumor that had been swirling for months.

While speaking at the Game Plan Sports Business Summit on Sept. 16 in Los Angeles, Durant revealed that with the help of his business partner, Rich Kleiman, he blocked a potential trade that would’ve sent him from the Phoenix Suns to the Golden State Warriors at last season’s deadline in February.

“I heard Golden State was in the mix around the trade deadline, but that’s when Rich came into play, and those relationships that we built around the league and also playing in Golden State helped,” Durant said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “We were able to tell them kind of hold off on that.”

Durant also admitted that he was not happy to hear the rumors that the Suns wanted to trade him during the 2024-25 campaign. He remained with the team for the remainder of the year before being sent to the Rockets in a blockbuster trade over the summer.

“Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns,” Durant said. “And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were.”

Durant is still seeking his first NBA championship since earning back-to-back titles during his tenure in Golden State, so he will certainly be motivated to guide Houston to the mountaintop during the 2025-26 season.

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