How does the money work with the Phoenix Suns? Can they do more after re-signing Josh Okogie?
there was some speculation of whether or not Josh aogi would be back he turned down his player option for 2024 entered free agency Sons had rumored interest in Kyle Lowry that didn’t materialize so yesterday it was announced the Suns bringing back a kogi two years $16 million and I know Kellen when people saw those numbers um that don’t understand and I’m not claiming I completely understand the CBA and everything that goes along with it with the luxury tax but those are numbers for Josh aogi that you’re like wow really fall off the chair kind of numbers uh but there is a reason for this madness there absolutely is so we have covered a lot extensively on our programming on our website through all of our content channels the situation that the suns are in they are second apron team uh the short version of this is that their maneuverability in offseason trade deadline acquisition that kind of stuff is severely limited M something that they can still do is trade players but they cannot combine use nerkish and Grayson Allen together to do a trade what they can do is a one for one trade a one for two trade one for three trade like you can trade a guy you can do two for two as long as the salaries match up that kind of thing you can do two for two in a three team Trade four team trade whatever so in order to make this work you need the right size salaries to make this happen so someone like Josh aogi you can look at that and say that’s an overpay what are the Suns doing the only context of how this matters in terms of it being an overpay is mat is be’s wallet and this uh tax uh payments happen at the end of the year but you would assume that this Josh aoi deal is either going to stick through to the end of the year or they are going to trade it later in the year it’s not just that they’re going to dump this to a team with salary cap space with a pick attached to it or whatever they’re going to eat this money and the amount of money that Matt hpia paid was $47 million is what this added to the tax bill alone Bobby marks had the Tweet the suns are the first $400 million team in payroll in league history they have $223 million in salaries projected tax 198 M million hang the banner Vince Mara they’ve done it almost $200 million in tax payment and I’m sure when the league started formatting these rules and I’m sure you guys uh have discussed on your show in the last two weeks how teams like the Clippers and the nuggets have cided like the second apron we’re scared of it we don’t want anything to do with that and all these limitations we knew there was going to be another team that was is going to break it I’m not sure that Phoenix was the team that someone envisioned whereas the team where if you had to guess right now would they make the Conference Finals probably not but they’re the team that is going to jump this and because they had Josh a kogi’s bird rights as their own free agent they were able to pay him more than the minimum yes we just didn’t think that was going to happen because Josh Aoki came on the minimum last year and had a worse season last year than he did the year prior but he comes in and is another tradable contract so now you’ve got Grayson Allen and Yousef nurkic and Royce O’Neal or really Allen and nerkish in like that 15 to18 million range you’ve got Royce O’Neal in that $10 million range aogi in the eight Nas little in the seven so now if you’re at the deadline and you’re looking to move some stuff around I I think ideally you want to take this 2031 pick or some of these second round picks and attach them to a player I read this signing Vince as they’ve been trying to trade Nas little or have not heard much uh interest in Nas little he has two more years on his deal after this year similar R uh salary structure to aogi in terms of the amount so then you bring over Josh and you can just say hey you just eat his money the rest of the year there’s a team option on the second year decline it here’s a pick or two and it’s just basically a salary filler that you can include in a trade and pick up a real player in January which Vince if this sounds bizarre to those listening it’s really bizarre because I think Josh aogi is signing this deal knowing there’s a really good chance he’s going to get traded in January or February but also questions on how much he’s going to play before that he does not have a guaranteed role on this team at all so you’re saying that they could trade Josh aogi but the Suns would still pay his salary so it’ be more desirable like like they do in baseball for example no what I’m saying is they would trade him but then the salary they would get back is still like what they’re going to pay so like this extra $47 million in luxury taxes because of that extra 8 million in salary the minutia here is crazy there there’s a rising element that happens where for every dollar that you pay you pay an extra dollar but then the repeater tax happens they’re now up to where every dollar is $6.75 that’s how high and it’s G to keep going but Euro to put that into other terms Jarett when they go to trade Josh aogi now they can trade for an $8 million player as opposed to a $2.4 million and even though it’s a twoyear deal team option on the second year it’s essentially an expiring contract so that’s why somebody would want to acquire a guy that you’re overpaying for and look if Josh is shooting 36 from three and he’s a rotation player you just accept that team option again and you’re in a really good spot but to your point Vince they’ve got seven guys they’ve got Devin Booker Bradley Beal Grace nen Kevin Durant YF nerkish Monte Morris and Royce O’Neil and then after that I would assume Mason Plumley is the backup center but you’ve got seven guys and then it’s bub Lee dun uodo little aogi Rody we don’t know we don’t know who’s going to emerge from that group but they paid all this money for a very specific reason and it’s fascinating why didn’t they just pay $20 million to them then because you want a specific amount that curtails to roster um I’m moring this very poorly but the amount is designed purposefully so if you pay him $20 million a year you’re looking at players that are worth $18 million a year can you afford them with this pick or this pick package but if you’re looking at the guys in the 87 million range that you’d be trading for those are guys value wise are are you with me still Jared at 6:00 in the morning no I I get it I get it it’s all it’s all it just sucks because they have so much money in three players that they have to do all this gymnastics but but to Kell’s original point was people will say is it sustainable it’s that’s all up to Matt ishia if he wants to keep the mortgage business going you know yes I mean it could be sustainable that’s what I don’t remember the the Mel proov era of the Nets where he did this to some extent now nowhere near this stuff but he went kind of crazy was spending money and then he got out I do not anticipate that to be mad isia but you just kind of Wonder I wrote a story two years ago cam Johnson doesn’t sign that contract extension sons are in the middle of the ownership change you’re kind of like okay are they going to get the type of owner that would be okay with signing cam Johnson we were like in this luxury tax era all of a sudden these rules come in and the analogy I was making like we’re in the wild west of the luxury tax ERA with spending money and are they going to get a guns Slicker they got the Gunslinger like no one is spending money like him right now no it’s it’s crazy and uh the Kyle Lowry interest that was rumored uh the Suns apparently were kicking the tires on T Kyle Lowry he’s going back to Philadelphia his hometown where he played his college ball where he ended last year with the Sixers he gets a a minimum deal um did that interest make all that much sense to you after the Monte Mor signing it didn’t from the players perspective like why would Kyle Bally the interest in K made just from the inang weed all the problems that seem to be coming out of the locker room last year you talk about the starting point guard on a really really good team that won a championship yes Kyle lry is not the player that he once was is he a rotation player in the league I don’t know but the intangibles that he would have brought made a lot of sense the big thing on this move Vince we should mention before we go to break is those seven guys I mentioned after that Damen Lee is really the only guy who is a average shooter in this league or below you’ve got bub who shot it well last year but teams are going to leave him open and he’s going to have to prove it plumbley you got Dunn igodo little Rody and now Josh aogi there were a lot of fans who wanted to see the team use this roster spot on someone who could shoot because you are looking at a lack of shooting at a certain point but I think the hope is one I think Damen Lee is going to play and then two someone like Dunn someone like Nas little someone like Josh aogi can provide enough value in the meantime and at the same time we’re talking about the ninth or 10th spot sure in the rotation very small role but but it matters a lack of shooting is here if you’re talking about Grayson Allen gets hurt and then one of the other guards gets hurt and now there’s a severe lack of spacing on the floor yeah fascinating move by the Suns yesterday thanks for watching Bley and marada click to see the latest Bley blast and hit the button in the middle to subscribe to Arizona Sports
How does the money work with the Phoenix Suns? Can they do more after re-signing Josh Okogie? Kellan Olson and Vince Marotta discuss.
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2 comments
Love him or hate him he is back.
Winning….largest payroll in NBA history. Number 1