The Phoenix Suns have bravely and wisely constructed an ambitious roster. That choice has resulted in mind-boggling financial fallout and underwhelming performance on the hardwood. Over the past two seasons, the Suns have spent an astonishing $626 million on player salaries and luxury tax payments, leading the league in total payroll during this period. Even with this investment, the team’s disappointing performance in the postseason may be an indictment of their superteam approach.
The Suns made headlines by trading five first-round picks, five swaps, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Chris Paul to acquire star players Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. This aggressive strategy was made to try to set the Suns up as contenders for a championship. The price tag for these acquisitions has been mind-boggling. Returning to the present, fans and analysts are left to scrutinize whether or not those investments actually provided a good bang for the buck.
Financial Implications of the Superteam Strategy
The long-term monetary pledge the Suns are making is history-making. Their spending nearly doubled that of the next team that didn’t win a playoff game. By comparison, the New Orleans Pelicans spent just $336 million—in other words, $290 million less than the Suns went for. Moreover, the Suns exceeded the second place Golden State Warriors by $51 million in total outlay.
Unfortunately, as we’ve previously documented, this huge monetary burden hasn’t led to the expected playoff success. The Suns were 85-79 to conclude the regular season. They faltered in the post-season, going winless and finishing with a combined record of 85-83. Statistics like these underscore the distance we’ve come between investment and on-field performance and cast doubt on the sustainability of this superteam construction model.
“We do those things a 100 out of a 100 times, not 99 out of a 100, a 100 out of a 100,” – Mat Ishbia
Suns’ brass — including owner Mat Ishbia — are still unwavering in their confidence that everything they did was right. He was achingly positive on the strategy, doubling down on the fact that he would do it again without flinching.
Performance Analysis: On-Court Results Fall Short
Even with their star-studded roster, the Suns experienced struggles on both sides of the ball. They will have to overcome a jaw-dropping 55-point spread spanning two seasons. The regular season came in at a plus-5, but the playoffs quickly turned south with a tone-setting minus-60. Only the Miami Heat had a scoring differential closer to neutral during this period.
Well, the addition of Beal didn’t exactly lead to any huge leaps in the right direction in improving their offensive efficiency. His presence on the floor didn’t move the needle, as the Suns’ offensive rating held steady at 120.5 following Beal’s acquisition. On defense, metrics plummeted with Beal on the court. This raised a host of questions about his ability to work within the existing shambolic system.
In Bradley Beal’s first year, he knocked down a pretty impressive 17.6 ppg. He had the best shooting efficiency of his career, hitting 41% of his threes on over 7 attempts per game. His usage rate dropped off a cliff. It plummeted from 32% over his final three years with Washington to a paltry 22% after moving to Phoenix. This drop off signaled that Beal was struggling to acclimate his scoring talents to his revamped, team-oriented roster.
A Struggling Trio and Future Prospects
Durant, Beal and Devin Booker had only shared the court together for 78 regular-season games and four playoff games over two seasons. In those pairings, they won out with a 45-37 W/L record. This relatively low bar would have seen them ranked 9th place in the highly competitive and popular Western Conference last year and 11th the previous year. The numbers tell a shocking story. Even at their peak, the Suns felt like a deep play-in team. They fumbled their way through the playoffs like a second-tier championship pretender.
As far as moving forward, the Suns only acquired one first-round pick in exchange for trading Durant and Beal. They drafted center Khaman Maluach with their first round (10th overall) pick. Further, the Rockets added Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks which allotted them some monetary wiggle room to flex. The limited return for such high-profile players has left many analysts questioning whether the trades were ultimately beneficial for long-term success.
“And we still do ’em again. And I think [the] other 29 GMs would all do the exact same thing.” – Mat Ishbia
Ishbia’s confidence is emblematic of a larger belief that the times demand aggressive moves in an increasingly competitive landscape. His thoughtful perspective helps explain the lack of urgency from NBA general managers to construct rosters and create a sense of urgency to seek championship aspirations.
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