The Phoenix Suns ticket price increase is a necessary evil

“But they shouldn’t increase prices because the Suns aren’t good”

This, “But the product the Suns put out on the floor isn’t good, therefore they have no right to charge for it,” argument sounds legit on the surface but falls flat with a little examination.

Firstly, yes, the Phoenix Suns have only had one winning record in the last decade (2013-2014). However, this season, the Suns have already won more games than Devin Booker has one in a single season his entire career.

Sure, one season does not make a trajectory, but there will no doubt be a plethora of articles written across all platforms at the conclusion of this season that this year was a huge step in the right direction for the Phoenix Suns.

We will also likely see a fair share of, “If only,” articles due to the team’s abhorrent luck they have suffered through suspensions, injuries, and illnesses.

So the team is getting better, but in this era of the NBA, if you want the Suns to advance to a championship-caliber, they need to attract big-name free agents. And while the dude splitting a pair of rafter seats with his neighbor might be able to look past an outdated arena, NBA superstars looking for a new home will not.

We can cherry-pick niceties here and there, but the fact remains that Talking Stick Resort Arena is outdated. Is it functional? Absolutely. But it is functional the same way laminate countertops are functional for kitchens. They allow you to prepare food on them just the same as marble but aren’t going to attract any top chefs to buy houses with them in it.

You can chicken-or-egg this if you want, but building a state-of-the-art venue will attract better players (as well as keep the ones they have), and thus lead to the Suns winning more games.

And like I said before, you have to pay for your new toys.