The Suns’ offseason deal for Bradley Beal, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Phoenix’s intentions to “explode” by utilizing the second tax incentive just put in place by the most recent collective bargaining agreement.
The Suns were already subject to some restrictions, such as those pertaining to who they could and could not sign in the buyout market, and more will follow. Eventually combining wages in trades? Not at all. Not taking place. A free agency mid-level exception? Nope. minimum amount of signatures only.
But even with those in place, the Suns can still maintain their team and sign free agents to pricey contracts. It just has to be their own, as having a hold on a player’s Bird rights will allow them to keep inflating their cap number. This applies to both key impending free agents for Phoenix: Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale.
The Suns’ financial obligations are the sole drawback. The longer Phoenix stays a tax team, the harsher the penalties become and the larger the tax bill increases. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, the purchase of O’Neale, for instance, increased it by over $20 million due to the rise in compensation.
All that matters is, well, paying it. And Suns owner Mat Ishbia has walked the walk so far and is certainly talking the talk.
“I don’t know what the second tax apron (is) — what is that? Nah I’m just kidding,” Ishbia joked Thursday.
His message has been about every decision coming down to just one factor, and that is if it is going to help the Suns win. Retaining both Allen and O’Neale would immensely. Letting them go and replacing them with minimum contract signings would be a gigantic downgrade to what Ishbia and company have developed into a great core of four role players around Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
