Isiah Thomas Won't Have Role in Suns Front Office, Governor Mat Ishbia Says

Phoenix Suns governor Mat Ishbia has denied a report linking Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas to a front office position with the franchise.

Ishbia told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic that Thomas will not have a position in the team's front office and will not be a part of the transition. His comments come after TNT and B/R's Chris Haynes reported Thomas was expected to be hired in a "prominent" front office role.

Ishbia is expected to take over his new role this week. NBA owners approved his purchase of the Suns on Tuesday.

He recently admitted in an interview with John Fanta of FOX Sports that he loved watching Thomas growing up, so it's no surprise he's expected to add the Hall of Famer to his staff.

"It started when I was about seven years old," Ishbia said of his passion for basketball. "I just fell in love with it, and I loved watching Isiah Thomas. The way he led his team and his competitive nature made me look up to him. It made me want to get to the NBA."

Thomas was a leader for the Pistons from 1981-1994, and he's widely considered one of the best point guards in NBA history after helping lead the franchise to two NBA titles. He's also a 12-time All-Star and averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 assists over his 13-year career.

After retiring from the NBA as a player, Thomas became an executive for the Toronto Raptors from 1994-97. He also coached the Indiana Pacers from 2000-03 and the New York Knicks from 2006-08.

The 61-year-old also served as New York's president of basketball operations from 2003-2008. Since being fired by the Knicks in 2008, Thomas hasn't held a front office role in the NBA. He has served as a studio analyst for NBATV since 2012.

In October 2007, a jury ruled that Thomas sexually harassed a former Knicks executive and that the owner of the team improperly fired her for "complaining about the advances," per Michael S. Schmidt and Maria Newman of the New York Times. The jury ruled that the executive was entitled to $11.6 million in punitive damages.

Per Fanta, Ishbia is rumored to want to bring in former Oklahoma City Thunder vice president Paul Rivers.