Phoenix Suns: Salary Cap Explosion May Hinder Rebuilding
How The Suns Fit In
Think about it. Phoenix’s standing with free agents hasn’t been great since the Steve Nash era, and as much as general manager Ryan McDonough has made smart individual deals in the past, a season of turmoil and chemistry issues in the locker room isn’t a ringing endorsement for free agents. Neither is falling from being a 48-win surprise to a 39-win disappointment.
If you’re a star free agent looking to sign a one-year or two-year deal, what reason would there be to come aid a rebuilding project in the desert? The Suns have a talented core, but they’re still about 2-3 years away from reaching their peak. Unless Phoenix was throwing a substantial amount of money at a player no one else wanted, what reason would that superstar have to come here and babysit?
As of right now, the Suns have $42.3 million on the books for next season (including Danny Granger‘s $2.1 million player option), when the salary cap is $67.1 million. That leaves them with about $24.8 million to work with if they’re not intent on trading anyone.
Unfortunately, Phoenix also has two unrestricted free agents (Brandan Wright and Gerald Green) and one restricted free agent (Brandon Knight) that the front office is interested in potentially re-signing. This is a problem, because flexibility for next summer could be key.
@LeRebellion that class will be loaded. Many players who can opt out in 2015 will opt in for 2016 free agency
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) March 16, 2015
Obviously, if the right star wants to come to Phoenix, that player will take precedence over Wright, Green and/or Knight. But the Suns gave up quite a lot at the trade deadline to get their hands on Knight, a combo guard they envision being a complementary backcourt player to Eric Bledsoe for the long-term.
So far, re-signing Knight seems to be offseason priority No. 1. Knight’s deal could very well end up looking like a four-year, $60 million contract. When the cap expands, that won’t look bad at all. But it would eat into Phoenix’s cap room this summer, most likely preventing them from adding a star via free agency.
If the league’s best players forego long-term security to make more money down the road, the Suns are screwed to some degree, even if they don’t re-sign Knight. Phoenix simply won’t attract star players for a one or two-year period since this is a long-term rebuild.
That’s the reason Phoenix’s extensions for Eric Bledsoe, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris (and possibly Brandon Knight) look so great from a financial perspective; those contracts will be chump change in a few seasons when everybody has max room.
Next: Patience Remains A Virtue