The Phoenix Suns ticket price increase is a necessary evil

“But couldn’t the Suns just build a new stadium?”

Sure, the City could have let the Suns walk and Robert Sarver could have built a new arena elsewhere, but that would mean three things. One, the city would be left with somewhat of a white elephant in a downtown they are continually trying to revitalize.

Two, the arena would likely be built somewhere in the outskirts of the Valley where attendance could drop substantially, which who knows, might tempt the team to change their name to the Arizona Suns.

Thirdly and poignantly, it would probably cost more than $150-$250 million causing ticket prices to skyrocket more than they already are.

So in the end, yes it stinks they had to raise ticket prices, but fans will be getting a higher quality experience, it will hopefully make Phoenix a desired destination for top-tier free agents, and the deal is a win-win for the city and the team.

Some people will argue (and have) the City could have negotiated a better deal. Maybe. But at some point, a compromise had to be made and one was. The City Council voted 6-2 in favor of the deal, so here we are.

Anytime prices go up it is no fun but in this case, it was a necessary evil to keep the Suns at Talking Stick and provide one of the most state-of-the-art arenas in the NBA. I, personally, look forward to seeing it completed.