Report: Suns Make More Key Front Office Changes

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have reportedly made other changes to the front office after promoting Brian Gregory to general manager last week.

According to Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, assistant GM Gerald Madkins, as well as manager of player personnel evaluation David Sevush, and scouts Charles Payne and Darrel Johnson are no longer with the Suns.

None of these people are listed on Phoenix's updated staff directory after the promotion of Gregory.

Gregory was elevated from vice president of player programming to general manager last Thursday, despite only having two years of experience in a front office role with Phoenix after 19 years as a Division I men's basketball head coach.

Along with Gregory's promotion, the Suns also announced that former GM James Jones was moving from his general manager into the role of senior advisor. Additionally, Oronde Taliaferro was promoted from head of amateur evaluation to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers is adding basketball operations responsibilities to his role as Chief Innovation Officer.

In the Suns' press release on the move of Gregory, he was labeled as "instrumental in selecting Suns rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro."

Robinson wrote that rather Madkins had a big role in selecting Dunn and Ighodaro:

"Internally, sources suggest Gregory’s fingerprints were all over the draft process, a sentiment reinforced by public framing following his promotion.

"But that narrative, while convenient, may be oversimplified — and misleading.

"Multiple league sources and reports indicate that the final calls on Dunn and Ighodaro weren’t made by Gregory, but rather by assistant GM Gerald Madkins, who joined the Suns in 2023 after holding a similar assistant GM role with the New York Knicks from 2017–20, brought nearly two decades of personnel and scouting experience to the table. His resume includes stops in Houston, New Orleans and the Clippers, where his ability to identify under-the-radar talent was widely respected.

"Sources confirm that Madkins and their personnel team — including David Sevush (manager of player personnel evaluation), and scouts Charles Payne and Darrel Johnson — were central in pushing for the selections of Dunn and Ighodaro, valuing their defensive upside and cultural fit within a roster built around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

"Sources tell me that if Gregory would have picked he would have chosen Kyle Filipowski, a Duke product and the Utah Jazz’s 32nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Filipowski is currently a two-way product for the Jazz and their G-League affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars.

"However, despite their contributions, Madkins, Sevush, Payne, and Johnson are all reportedly out of the organization. While their departures haven’t been officially announced, sources familiar with the Suns’ internal discussions confirm that the exits are not coincidental — they reflect a broader organizational reshuffling that’s left many inside the franchise stunned.

"There’s a belief that no one knows who’s in charge, one high-ranking league source said.

“'This is a horror movie,' they shared."

Gregory is scheduled to address the media for the first time as GM in an introductory press conference later today.