Mat Ishbia continues to turn the Phoenix Suns into Michigan State West.
The Suns announced on Friday that they have officially hired former NBA guard Mateen Cleaves. The 47-year-old Cleaves will be serving as a player development/leadership assistant.
Cleaves is best known for his stint in college at Michigan State, where he led the team to the 2000 national championship as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. The Suns owner Ishbia also played at Michigan State from 1999-2002 and was on that 2000 national title team as well.
The Cleaves hire led to Ishbia getting roasted over social media about hiring another one of his former Spartan connections.
Another Michigan State grad. Expect Tom Izzo when he retires to have a role and Draymond Green to be on coaching staff when he’s done. https://t.co/NmIFhGb85r
— Andrew Schaeffer Hoops (@schaeffnbake) July 11, 2025
When you go to war, you turn to your friends, you turn to your kliq https://t.co/j0R3p67sjw pic.twitter.com/3lNe3Z7W2L
— XWIRES|Psychoblue @ EVO 2025 (@Psychoblue9) July 11, 2025
COLLEGE
— (@bryanMkruse) July 11, 2025
Michigan St
Go figure.
Another one of Matt’s Michigan boys lol. Joke of a franchise ever since Matt took over. Ridiculous
— TrapnDee (@DetrickSession) July 11, 2025
For those keeping score at home, Cleaves is no less than the fifth former Michigan State figure in the Suns organization. Both Ishbia and his brother Justin (a part-owner of the Suns) went to Michigan State. New Suns GM Brian Gregory was also formerly an assistant coach for the Spartans during Ishbia’s time there, and new Suns head coach Jordan Ott attended Michigan State as well.
On top of that, Ishbia has hired some other notable ex-Michigan basketball names to the Suns organization. Josh Bartelstein, the CEO of the Suns, attended the University of Michigan, and even former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas once had a role in Phoenix as well.
Ishbia formally took over as Suns owner in 2023 and has been criticized for his supposed meddling in basketball affairs. Under Ishbia’s leadership, Phoenix blew past the second apron of the luxury tax with a record $400 million payroll (thanks in part to blockbuster moves for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal) but quickly had to reverse course after winning just one total playoff series in three years. While Durant is now gone and Beal may be following suit, the fact that Ishbia continues to hire his old Michigan State friends probably will not help the public perception of him very much.
