The Phoenix Suns are one of the most expensive teams in the NBA. Despite trading for big-name players and paying them record salaries, they failed to make the playoffs. The Suns were the only team this year that missed the lottery, the playoffs, and the play-in. The NBA added rules like first apron and second apron to the collective bargaining agreement to prevent big markets from overspending. These NBA Finals are proof that money cannot buy success. If we look at the complete Phoenix Suns payroll, they spent more this year than the two teams in the Finals, the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Phoenix Suns Payroll Tops Finals Teams Combined
The Phoenix Suns will pay a tax bill of a whopping $366 million this year. They have $214 million in committed salary, but because they are over the luxury tax for a few years, they will pay even more. For comparison, the Indiana Pacers have $169 million in committed salary, while the Oklahoma City Thunder have $164 million in committed salary. Do the math and the Suns will pay more than the two finalists combined.
The New Era of Building Teams
Before the new CBA and apron rules, teams with rich owners who were not afraid of spending money could have paid three max players. Now, if you are paying three max players, they better be three of the top 10 players in the league. Instead, the Suns have three of the top 7 highest-earning players, but Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are way past their primes.
If we look at their salaries, KD will earn $51 million for the 2024-25 season, Beal $50 million, and Devin Booker $49 million. They are three of the seven highest-paid players for this season.
For comparison, the Pacers do not have a player in the top 20, and the Thunder have the 35th highest-paid player. Tyrese Haliburton is 22nd with a salary of $42 million, Pascal Siakam is 24th with a salary of $42 million, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder will earn $35.8 million.
The Pacers and the Thunder have drafted well, traded for players that fit their roster, and signed free agents at a low cost.
How the Pacers Built Their Championship Team
The Indiana Pacers are a small market team that hasn’t paid the luxury tax in years. They are not a popular free-agent destination, so they have to be extra careful with their roster choices. And in the past few years, it looks like the Pacers have hit the right move over and over again.
The moment they traded for Haliburton, they made him the centerpiece of their team and filled the roster with players who benefited from his skill set. Since then, they have continued to make a good trade after a good trade.
They traded for Aaron Neishmith, a lottery pick that the Boston Celtics didn’t want anymore, and then gave him an extension paying $11 million per year. When the New York Knicks needed to shed salary, the Pacers swooped in and got Obi Toppin for two future second-round picks, and then re-signed him to a four-year, $60 million deal. Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin are homegrown players who continue to develop. Last but not least, when the Raptors didn’t want to give Siakam a max contract, the Pacers recognized his fit and got him for late first-round picks and Bruce Brown.
How the Thunder Built Their Championship Team
OKC is another example of a team building around a player they trade for. Of course, nobody expected SGA to develop into this MVP-type player when they got him from the Los Angeles Clippers.
But they have put a great team around him. In the beginning, they got Chris Paul to mentor and teach Shai, and since then, they’ve added complimentary pieces from either the draft, free agency, or trades.
We can make an argument that the most impactful trade before the season turned out to be Alex Caruso to the Thunder. This summer, the Thunder traded for Caruso and signed Isaiah Hartenstein, two players that are key to their defensive identity.
Teams looking to build a championship roster will have to follow in the footsteps of the Pacers and Thunder. No team can afford to pay three max players without depth anymore like the Suns. The Pacers and Thunder are proof that you do not need a payroll like the Phoenix Suns to win a title.
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