Suns, Ishbia sued by minority owners seeking records access - ESPN

A pair of Phoenix Suns minority owners who were holdovers from the previous regime under former owner Robert Sarver are suing the team, alleging that current Suns owner Mat Ishbia has refused access to internal records, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by ESPN.

The lawsuit was filed in Delaware on Aug. 21 under seal, and a redacted version was made available Wednesday. The attorneys who filed it represent Kisco WC Sports II and Kent Circle Investments. Andy Kohlberg is the founder, president and CEO of Kisco Senior Living, and Scott Seldin is the president of Kent Circle Partners. Both men were minority owners under Sarver, who sold the Suns and Mercury in 2023 in the wake of an NBA investigation into Sarver's conduct and the team's workplace culture.

Ishbia bought a 57% controlling stake for $2.28 billion, as ESPN reported then, with Sarver selling his 37% stake for $1.48 billion.

At the time of the 2023 sale, 14 of the 16 partners in the Suns' ownership group accepted Ishbia's buyout offer at a $4 billion valuation. Kohlberg and Seldin were the only two who did not sell.

«Our clients sued to obtain records to which they are entitled as minority owners of the Suns,» Michael Carlinsky and Michael Barlow of Quinn Emanuel, who are representing the minority owners, wrote in a statement Wednesday. «They are concerned by the manager's approach towards minority owners, and want more information about certain spending and capital raises in which the manager has engaged. Transparency with minority owners is not optional, and our clients think it is critical to the success of the Suns.»

The Suns declined to comment on the lawsuit, the sixth against the organization since November 2024. The other five were by current or