For the longest time, the Phoenix Suns had a reputation for being very cheap under the leadership of Robert Sarver. That is no longer the case under new owner Mat Ishbia who has been making some bold moves.
The latest was to trade for Bradley Beal, and while in a vacuum, the move was pretty good, it is a very costly one. The Big Four of Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton are set to make a whopping $162.9 million in the upcoming season and that does not bode well for Phoenix.
“The projected apron is $179.5 million.
Kevin Durant: $47,649,433
Bradley Beal: $46,741,590
Devin Booker: $36,016,200
Deandre Ayton: $32,459,438
Total: $162,866,661
If those four guys are on the Suns, they’re basically guaranteed to go above the second apron.”
The projected apron is $179.5 million.
Kevin Durant: $47,649,433
Bradley Beal: $46,741,590
Devin Booker: $36,016,200
Deandre Ayton: $32,459,438
Total: $162,866,661
If those four guys are on the Suns, they're basically guaranteed to go above the second apron.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) June 18, 2023
The second apron for the 2023-24 season is set at $179.5 million, as Sam Quinn stated, and when they fill out the rest of their roster, the Suns would almost certainly go over it. Teams that go above the second apron are penalized in multiple ways, with one being that they lose access to their taxpayer mid-level exception.
There would also be implications down the road in the form of being unable to trade a first-round draft pick. The NBA was targeting the big spenders with these changes in the new CBA and the Suns are certainly in a difficult position now.
The Suns Need To Trade Deandre Ayton
The only way that the Suns can avoid this situation is by trading Ayton and getting multiple pieces in return for him. It would serve the purpose of ensuring they don’t go above the second apron and would give the team some much-needed depth as well.
It was reported that the Suns are confident about trading Ayton, and it’ll be interesting to see what they can get for him. His stock certainly isn’t very high at the moment after some disappointing showings in the 2023 playoffs.
Ayton averaged 13.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.7 BPG in the postseason and you wondered what kind of market would be there for him. One team that is reportedly interested is the Portland Trail Blazers, and that is a situation worth monitoring, depending on what happens with Damian Lillard.
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