Suns CEO Jason Rowley ‘resigns from the team as new owner Mat Ishbia is set to take over this week’

Jason Rowley, the president and CEO of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, is stepping down ahead of a change of team ownership, according to reports.

Staff members were notified of the decision in a team e-mail sent by interim governor Sam Garvin, said ESPN.

‘I wanted to let you know that Jason Rowley made the decision to leave the organization,’ Garvin said. 

‘After almost 15 years of hard work and dedicated service, Jason felt that the transition in ownership created ideal timing to close this chapter of his professional journey and pursue new opportunities.

‘We wish Jason the best and are appreciative of his tireless work on behalf of our organization.’

This decision comes as both the Suns of the NBA and the Mercury of the WNBA are being sold by former team owner Robert Sarver – who created a toxic work environment

Rowley joined the team back in 2007 and has been president and CEO of the team since 2012 under the ownership of Robert Sarver.

Sarver is finalizing the process of selling the team after he was suspended for one year by the NBA after he was found to use racial slurs in public and created a toxic work environment through ‘unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.’

After initially pushing back on selling the Suns and the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, Sarver sold both teams to former Michigan State basketball walk-on and mortgage broker Mat Ishbia for $4billion.

Ishbia is set to officially be named as owner of the Suns this Wednesday.

Sarver is set to officially hand the reigns over to mortgage executive Mat Ishbia this week

ESPN published a story in December about allegations of misconduct that went beyond Sarver’s behavior.

It found that the report commissioned by the NBA into Sarver found alleged misconduct by Rowley and other Suns executives.

ESPN found, ‘additional allegations, including verbal abuse of employees, mistreatment of pregnant and postpartum employees, and other instances of retaliation and intimidation.’

The article included a quote from a Suns employee, saying, ‘Sarver created the culture, but [the executives] upheld it.’

In response to that article, the team released a statement to ESPN that was attributed to Rowley, saying in part, ‘The story misrepresented me and others… I communicated that while I do not know my ultimate fate with new ownership, I will never quit on this team and the people who make up this great organization.’