$510 Million a Year! Will the Suns Disband Next Year After Winning No Playoff Games?

Recently, Sam Hauser and the Boston Celtics agreed on a four-year, $45 million extension. After signing this contract, a salary expert highlighted that by the 2025-26 season, when Hauser, Derrick White, and Jayson Tatum's new contracts are all in effect, the Celtics' total salary will reach $225 million, with an additional $210 million in luxury taxes, bringing their total annual expenditure to $435 million. Many can understand why the Celtics' owner is eager to sell the team. However, you must admit that as the defending champions, the Celtics remain highly competitive. As long as they maintain their roster, they have a good chance of contending for the title in the next couple of years.

Moreover, key players like Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday are each on approximately $30 million per year, which isn’t an overpayment. Even Hauser's four-year, $45 million contract is reasonable. On other teams, he might command a deal similar to Joe Harris, Duncan Robinson, or Davis Bertans, who each secured contracts around $80 million. Thus, the Celtics’ $435 million expenditure is justified.

However, there is another team in the league that spends even more aggressively than the Celtics but did not win a single playoff game last season: the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix Suns' Financial Future

If the Suns’ current roster remains unchanged through the 2025-26 season, their total salary for that season will reach $233 million, with an additional $277 million in luxury taxes, resulting in a staggering $510 million total expenditure. Notably, the luxury tax for both the Suns and the Celtics in the 2025-26 season far exceeds any other team, with the next highest being the Minnesota Timberwolves at $63.85 million—coincidentally, the team that eliminated the Suns from the playoffs last season.

Breaking down the player salaries, the three highest-paid Suns in the 2025-26 season will be Kevin Durant ($54.71 million), Bradley Beal ($53.67 million), and Devin Booker ($53.30 million). Each of these players' situations varies greatly.

Player Salaries and Contracts

By the 2025-26 season, Durant will be in the final year of his contract. Although he is currently 34, he remains in peak form and is undoubtedly a valuable asset. However, fetching a trade return similar to the one that included four first-round picks, a pick swap, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson is unlikely.

Booker, at 27, is the undisputed leader of the Suns. His contract runs through the 2027-28 season, and he continues to be an All-Star and All-NBA Third Team member. Given that the Suns have nearly no first-round picks of their own, Booker is the one player they cannot and will not trade.

Beal, on the other hand, can opt into his player option for the 2026-27 season ($57.13 million). He is currently the most overpaid player on the Suns' roster. Last season, Beal averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game with shooting splits of 51.3% from the field, 43.0% from three, and 81.3% from the line, resulting in a true shooting percentage of 60.7%. However, his availability is a major concern, having played only 40, 50, and 53 games over the past three seasons. Beal's role overlaps significantly with Booker and Durant, and to make matters worse, he has a no-trade clause—an issue that fans predicted would hinder the Suns’ championship aspirations even before Beal's arrival. Suns owner Mat Ishbia's insistence on forming a "Big Three" has now backfired, making it difficult to trade Beal away.

Other Significant Contracts

In addition to the "Big Three," the Suns have several other players on significant contracts:

• Jusuf Nurkic: In the 2025-26 season, Nurkic will earn $19.38 million in the final year of his contract. Last season, he averaged 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. While he is a decent offensive player, his defensive shortcomings are a major flaw.
• Grayson Allen: His new four-year, $70 million contract starts next season, with a projected salary of $16.90 million in 2025-26. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists last season, shooting 46.1% from three-point range. If he maintains this level of performance, his contract will be well worth it.
• Royce O'Neale: Also starting a new four-year, $44 million contract next season, O'Neale is set to earn $11 million in 2025-26. Last season, he averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.0%. His performance matches his contract value, but at 31 years old, how long can he maintain his level of play?

Combining these six players—Durant, Booker, Beal, Nurkic, Allen, and O'Neale—the Suns’ total salary for the 2025-26 season is close to $210 million. But how many people believe this roster is stronger than the Celtics' core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, White, Holiday, Porzingis, and Hauser/Pritchard (with Al Horford's contract expiring in 2025)? Or compare them to the Timberwolves’ core of Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Naz Reid. The Timberwolves' lineup is younger and arguably more competitive.

Consequences and Future Outlook

Besides facing enormous expenditures, the Suns, like the Celtics, will also face punitive measures for exceeding the luxury tax threshold for consecutive years. These penalties include losing the mid-level exception, being unable to include cash in trades, not being able to sign buyout market players, being prohibited from increasing salaries in trades, and having their first-round picks automatically dropping to the end of the round seven years later.

While the Celtics have at least won a championship, the Suns are paying a hefty price for a team that didn't win a single playoff game. This highlights the owner's deep pockets and determination. If the Suns don't meet expectations next season, there's a 100% chance of a roster overhaul. But who among the "Big Three" would be traded first? Considering all factors, Durant appears to be the most likely candidate.