Playing both sides: Son of prominent NBA agent, Bartelstein now CEO of Phoenix Suns

Josh with owner Mat Ishbia, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, during the Suns NBA All-Star 2027 press conference.

Josh Bartelstein practically grew up inside one of those behind-the-scenes sports documentaries that have become so popular.

The Highland Park native is the son of Mark Bartelstein, one of the most successful agents in the business and CEO of Priority Sports and Entertainment.

Back in the early days, whether they were headed to a youth basketball practice or a game at the United Center, Mark often had to conduct business along the way.

“I would sit in the backseat of the car and listen to him talk to different GMs and executives about his players,” Josh said. “I would always listen to those calls. My dream was to be on the other side of that.”

The dream came true. Bartelstein, 36, is now CEO of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. He's in charge of teams in two leagues, and oversees both business and basketball operations.

While a show like “Hard Knocks” is heavily edited and filtered for a wide audience, Bartelstein's insight was limited only by the fact he usually heard just one side of his dad's conversations.

“At the time, I probably never thought about the impact it was having on him listening to all that,” said Mark Bartelstein, who also has three daughters. “I'm sure he was sitting back there absorbing, since he was a huge sports fan, huge basketball fan. He was around all of it.”

There was another unique twist to Josh's experience growing up. While most people grow up cheering for a particular team, he had to follow his father's client list.

The Bulls might be on television, but the Bartelstein house would be focused on, say, Brian Cardinal with the Grizzlies, or whichever of his father’s clients happened to be on the court that night.

“I couldn't wait to come home from school and look at the schedule of what NBA teams were playing,” Josh said. “We'd watch his guys and change the channel to cheer for his players, because I got to know them growing up.

“My one true team, I'm a big White Sox fan. That's my one Chicago team. But for football and basketball, my fandom growing up was tied to his players.”

Sox and Suns

Speaking of the White Sox, the Phoenix Suns might provide some insight into what the future could hold on the South Side. The Suns are owned by Mat Ishbia, and his older brother Justin has an agreement to take over the Sox in a few years.

Justin is a minority owner of the Suns and Mercury, while Mat will likely be a minority owner of the White Sox once the team changes hands.

Josh Bartelstein didn't want to speculate on what the Justin Ishbia-owned White Sox could look like. Obviously, the brothers are different people and the transition from Jerry Reinsdorf isn't scheduled to happen for several years.

“Justin's going to do it his way,” Bartelstein said. “Justin is amazing, but my connection is mostly with Mat and the Suns. I do think Justin will be a great owner.”

Without question, Mat Ishbia's style of ownership is far different from any Chicago sports owner of the past or present. Whether that carries over to the White Sox remains to be seen.

As an example, when the Suns wrapped up a disappointing 36-46 season in April, Ishbia sat down for a news conference, talked about the state of the franchise and took questions for nearly an hour.

This was Ishbia's opening line: “First off, embarrassing season, right? Disappointed, awful. No one's proud of it. No one's happy with it. … It was a failure.”

Almost immediately after Ishbia bought the Suns, they made a big move to trade for Kevin Durant, followed by Bradley Beal. It didn't work and both players left Phoenix this summer.

Ishbia's message was the Suns will take big swings, but are willing to pivot quickly if the plan is unsuccessful. Beal is a Mark Bartelstein client, so the two parties spoke frequently to negotiate Beal's contract buyout.

“He's extremely passionate, extremely competitive,” Mark Bartelstein said of Mat Ishbia. “I've dealt with Mat a ton over the last few years. When it comes down to Suns business, I try not to do too much directly with Josh. I try and do it with Mat directly or now (general manager and Hersey High School grad) Brian Gregory. I think it's just cleaner to do it that way.”

Some other quick facts about Mat Ishbia and the Suns: He built a separate practice facility for the Mercury, rather than have the two teams continue to share a building; he instituted a $2 value menu at the arena; and during his season-ending news conference, spoke the phrase, “The business is not here to make money.”

As mentioned above, very different from what Chicago fans are used to.

Walk-ons unite

Josh Bartelstein knows he is extremely fortunate to have grown up with his father in the business. There were some dues to pay along the way. A basketball star at Highland Park High School, he chose the often thankless route of walking on at a major program, rather than go to a smaller school where he might be a starter.

During four years at Michigan, Bartelstein's career-high in minutes played was four. Total points scored were 6, on a pair of 3-pointers. At the same time, he was able to run out of the tunnel and sit on the bench at the 2013 NCAA title game. He was also valuable enough to be named a team captain that season.

“I think about that a lot,” he said. “There's nothing like competing in a game. That said, I wouldn't change my Michigan experience for the world. The culture there, the people I got to meet. My dream was to play in the Big Ten. My dream was to play in the Final Four.”

After graduation, he spent the next eight years working in the Detroit Pistons front office. That's where he got to meet Mat Ishbia, who was a team sponsor as CEO of Detroit-based United Wholesale Mortgage.

Maybe the two hit it off so well because Ishbia was also a college basketball walk-on, at rival Michigan State. Ishbia was on the bench when MSU won the 2000 national title.

“If I don't go to Michigan, I'm probably not working for the Pistons,” Bartelstein said. “If I don't work for the Pistons, I'm probably not the CEO of the Suns. All of it's tied and connected and I'm very lucky to have had an incredible basketball life so far.”