(Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns roster going into the 2023 season is one of the most interesting in the league. They made a massive move last year sending picks and players to acquire Kevin Durant. This was on the heels of signing De’Andre Ayton and Devin Booker to huge extensions as well. The team doubled down and traded for Bradley Beal this offseason despite exiting the playoffs due mostly to roster depth. This year will be a litmus test. In this new CBA, is this way of roster building a blueprint for other teams to follow or a cautionary tale?
The New CBA
I wrote about the challenges of the new CBA for teams previously but here is the general issue with the way the Suns are building the roster. There is a new clause that once teams get over a certain threshold in salaries (the second apron as it is called in the CBA), it severely limits what a team can do. Many have theorized that teams will do everything they can in order to stay under this second apron. The Suns are doing the opposite. While they aren’t blowing past it, they are building the roster in a way that could be very challenging.
The Top Salaries For The Phoenix Suns
The top four players on the team are making a massive percentage of the money in 2023. Here is the list of the top salaries on the team for 2023.
Kevin Durant: $47.6 million
Devin Booker: $36 million
Bradley Beal: $46.7 million
De’Andre Ayton: $32.4 million
Add that all up and you get a whopping $162.7 million for four players. NBA rosters have 15 players on them. The drop-off from the top four to the next person is almost laughable.
The Rest Of The Salaries
After Ayton, there is a massive cliff for the Phoenix Suns’ salaries.
Eric Gordon: $3.1 million
Josh Okogie: $2.8 million
Damion Lee: $2.5 million
Keita Bates-Diop: $2.3 million
I won’t list out everyone but the rest of the roster is making between $1-3 million dollars next season. The issue here is that you have to find players that are willing to come to the team on a minimum deal. Players like Bruce Brown would be perfect for a team like this except he is costing you a two-year $45 million contract, something the Phoenix Suns cannot do. The team is counting on the allure of a possible championship.
Recruiting Ring Chasers
Basically, the Suns are telling free agents, “You want to win a championship? This is your best shot. Look at all the talent we have!!” It isn’t a bad sales pitch. Getting to play with Durant, Beal, and Booker does sound tantalizing. Defenses will be focused on stopping some of the best scorers in the league giving plenty of opportunities for other players. Also, if a player can be a contributing factor on a championship team, that could vault them into a great next contract. On paper, it all seems great. The issue is the stress that it puts on the top players.
Downsides Of The Strategy For The Phoenix Suns
I actually like the Phoenix Suns roster for 2023. Eric Gordon is a nice veteran guard who can shoot. Okogie, Lee, and Bates-Diop are nice role players as well. The most interesting signing was Bol Bol who has shown flashes of being a big-time scorer and could be a key piece off the bench for this team. I like the roster on paper. Where it gets dicey is if injuries begin to happen.
Durant has dealt with injuries a lot in the past couple of years. Beal and Booker have been relatively healthy but have dealt with their own issues. If one of those top four has to miss significant time, my liking of this roster goes way down. Relying on Josh Okogie as the fifth or sixth option is great. As the fourth option? I’m a little more skeptical.
Will It Work?
Other teams seem to be going down the two-superstar route and then filling in with solid role players. The Phoenix Suns are the anomaly. They are hoping the amount of star talent they have on the roster will overwhelm their opponents. I’m skeptical that it will work but I am happy to be proven wrong. If this does work and the Suns go on to win the NBA Finals, watch for other teams to try to copy the blueprint. If it goes horribly wrong, teams will use this team as a cautionary tale for years to come.
