Phoenix Suns: Salary Cap Explosion May Hinder Rebuilding

For a fanbase that hasn’t seen its team make the playoffs in five years — tied for the longest postseason drought in franchise history — “patience” isn’t really a word on the tip of everyone’s tongue right now.

But as the Phoenix Suns undergo what feels like the 10th rebuilding process, it might be the only word that brings sanity to a group of fans still waiting to celebrate the team’s first championship.

Why? We could start with the obvious: this team’s core is extremely young, Phoenix doesn’t have a bonafide superstar and the rest of the Western Conference is stacked. In the East, this might be a different conversation, but no matter what conference they’re in, the Suns are not title contenders.

However, the real reason fans might have to buy into a more long-term plan is the volatile and increasingly unpredictable nature of free agency as the NBA’s salary cap balloons.

Here’s a look at how the upcoming salary cap increases will impact the league and why it could push Phoenix’s rebuilding project closer to “long-term.”

Next: The Salary Cap Figures