Photo Credit: Arizona Republic
We’re only about one week away from the start of the NBA season, and with it comes a degree of hope for Phoenix Suns fans. The star-studded core of their roster is coming back, and with it point guard Tyus Jones to add some ball movement capability. While parting ways with a head coach in the middle of a championship window is an unusual move, as the team did with Frank Vogel, new coach Mike Budenholzer may be just what this team needs to get over the hump.
But to indulge in this hope, it’s going to cost fans significantly. The Suns currently have the ninth most expensive tickets in all of the NBA, with significant increases of up to 60% in some cases. For even cheap seats, a family of four going to the game will cost around $350, and that leaves aside parking costs.
Granted, it’s not what it costs to watch the Lakers at the Forum (ohhh, sorry, I meant the Crypto.com Arena, lol) or watching the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, but this is yet another indicator that the days of Arizona being cheaper than most big city locales are far in the past. We’ve arrived!
So why is the price increasing? We could go with the simple “Have you seen the price of eggs?” explanation of widespread inflation, but in this case it is so much more obvious and clear. DID YOU KNOW that the Phoenix Suns have the biggest salary burden in all of the NBA, and it’s not even remotely close; they are over 10% above the next closest competitor!
Perhaps the most illuminating item is how heavily concentrated that salary spend is: three players are averaging over $50 million per year for the upcoming season, representing 68% of the salary allocated to just Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker. While no one would say that Booker isn’t worth that money (unless you’re just one of those curmudgeons that likes to complain about player salaries), and Durant played well enough to warrant that last year (but at age 36, that won’t be a guarantee for this year), the Beal signing looks a bit rich in comparison.
Of course, if the Suns live up to their salaries and expectations and make the finals again, much will be forgiven. And if they win it all, even the most egregious salaries will be seen as a bargain.
But if you find yourself spending $200 for a nose-bleed seat for a team that’s lingering around the 5th spot in the Western Conference come March, you’ll know why, and you’ll have every reason to complain. Hopefully Bradley Beal sends you a thank you card for helping fund his $50 million year, but we won’t hold our breath.