Mat Ishbia is catching heat again, this time for adding another Michigan State name to the Phoenix Suns' payroll.
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Social media lit up Friday after the Suns announced they had hired former NBA guard Mateen Cleaves as a player development and leadership assistant. While the 47-year-old Cleaves is best remembered for guiding Michigan State to the 2000 NCAA championship and earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors, his connection to Ishbia — a reserve on that same title team — is what's generating the headlines.
This latest move has prompted another wave of backlash aimed at Ishbia, who's now being widely criticized online for continuing to stack the Suns' organization with his old Michigan State friends. Cleaves is the fifth prominent Spartan added since Ishbia officially took over as owner in 2023.
The others: Ishbia's brother, Justin, a fellow Michigan State alum and part-owner of the team; general manager Brian Gregory, who was an assistant under Tom Izzo during Ishbia's playing days; new head coach Jordan Ott, also a Michigan State attendee; and, of course, Ishbia himself, the former walk-on turned billionaire mortgage mogul.
Another one of Matt’s Michigan boys lol. Joke of a franchise ever since Matt took over. Ridiculous
— TrapnDee (@DetrickSession) July 11, 2025
The Spartan pipeline has become a running joke among fans and observers — and increasingly a source of criticism for Ishbia, whose hands-on style has raised eyebrows throughout the league. One user quipped, "Are the Suns building a contender or hosting a class reunion?" Another called it "nepotism disguised as nostalgia."
The connections don't end with East Lansing. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein played at rival Michigan, and former Pistons great Isiah Thomas, another Ishbia confidant, was once said to be advising the franchise, though the team has never confirmed his role publicly.
Under Ishbia's leadership, the Suns dove headfirst into luxury tax territory with a record $400 million payroll that brought in stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. But the splashy roster moves didn't pay off, as Phoenix has managed just one playoff series win in three seasons.
Now Durant is gone. Beal's future is in doubt. And with Cleaves in the building, the Suns look more and more like a tribute to Michigan State than a focused NBA title contender.
Whether the strategy will work remains unclear. But fans are making their thoughts known, and so far, they're not applauding.
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 @ Beast in the East (@Psychoblue9) July 11, 2025
