The Phoenix Suns are not the only team to be planning for an offseason that will have “change” at its core. The Suns welcomed Mike Budenholzer as head coach on Friday, and soon we will learn who will join him on the bench as he looks to maximize the output of the talent rostered. Mat Ishbia is working on his front office at the same time.
The Brooklyn Nets, an organization that has been a frequent trade partner with Phoenix, are also undergoing a transition.
Brooklyn recently hired Jordi Fernandez, and they are taking over their front office. Jeff Peterson, who worked as the assistant GM in Brooklyn for the past four seasons, is now the president of basketball operations with the Charlotte Hornets. Ryan Gisriel was their executive head of basketball operations, but he followed Peterson to the Hornets.
And now, Matt Tellum, the Nets’ vice president of strategy and former assistant general manager, is going as well.
The Phoenix Suns are closing in on hiring Brooklyn Nets executive Matt Tellem in franchise’s front office, sources tell ESPN.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 17, 2024
Tellem is called a capologist—someone who excels at manipulating the salary cap and maximizing its output. Tellem is the son of Arn Tellem, a former agent and current executive for the Detroit Pistons. Ah, the state of Michigan link happens again. We see you, Mat.
Phoenix and Brooklyn have been no strangers to having talks that equate to trades. It is obvious that James Jones had a solid relationship with their front office, as, since Jones arrived in Phoenix in 2018, the Suns and the Nets have connected to execute four different trades.
2018
As Jones was coming on the scene as the vice president of basketball operations, the team was completing a deal to send Jared Dudley and a 2021 second-round pick to Brooklyn for a top-35 protected second-rounder and Darrell Arthur. Arthur would never see the floor with Phoenix, as he was dropped with the final roster cuts that October.
2021
James Jones had full general manager power when he dealt away the Suns’ 2021 first-round pick in the summer of 2021. After a run to the NBA Finals, Phoenix decided it needed more shooting to fortify the bench. Their solution? Landry Shamet.
Brooklyn has traded guard Landry Shamet to Phoenix for Jevon Carter and the 29th pick in tonight’s draft, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2021
Working with the Nets once again, the Suns dealt Jevon Carter and their pick—wwhich ended up being Day’Ron Sharpe—ffor Shamet. We all know how that one turned out.
2023
Kevin Durant had been vocal in the summer of 2022 that he desired to play with the Suns, and as the trade deadline approached in 2023, a trade happened. Empowered by his new owner, James Jones pulled off one of the biggest trades in the history of the club.
The Phoenix Suns received Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren in return for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, grumpy Jae Crowder, and five first-round picks.
2024
At the trade deadline in 2024, the Suns were looking to fortify their under-performing bench team. Jones once again picked up the phone and called the number in Brooklyn to see what they had to offer. Ther response? Royce O’Neale for Chimezie Metu, Yuta Watanabe, Jordan Goodwin, and Keita Bates-Diop. The Memphis Grizzlies were involved to help with the mechanics, which dispersed the outgoing Phoenix players and netted the Suns David Roddy.
Now, one of the contacts that James Jones had in Brooklyn, Matt Tellum, is coming to Phoenix. His role? is to serve as assistant general manager.
A deal to make former Nets executive Matt Tellem the new Assistant General Manager of the Phoenix Suns is close to being finalized. Tellem is considered an outside the box thinker who will help with cap/strategy/pro personnel. Really good at 3 team deals and manipulating the cap.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 18, 2024
What does this mean for the Suns?
For one, it means James Jones no longer has a source in Brooklyn if he needs to pull off a deal. Perhaps the Suns emptied all the bullets out of their transaction gun, as they don’t foresee very many deals happening moving forward. Given the current state of roster construction and second-apron limits, what’s the point of having a guy in Brooklyn? It might as well bring him out west and give him a chance to grow in the desert.
It sounds like a casino or something. Fuhgeddaboudit.
What Tellem does bring, as Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro notes above, is his cap strategy and method, along with the ability to handle three-team deals. The Suns will need to get creative as the second apron limits become more and more strict starting with the 2024–25 season.
The Suns will need all of the help they can get to build out this squad. Tellum is part of that help. Capisce?
