PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns enter the 2024-25 season with three of the NBA’s top contracts, thanks to lavish deals for stars like Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
Although the Suns have one of the highest luxury tax bills in the league, they have some lucrative contracts with their trio of stars that will hopefully bode well for leading Phoenix to its first NBA title.
Two of them – Grayson Allen and Tyus Jones – are among the most lucrative deals in the NBA, according to Bleacher Report:
Eric Pincus: “Jones, who played most of last season for the Washington Wizards, was unable to secure a market deal as most teams had to use their scarce spending power elsewhere this summer.
“For $3 million, the Suns get a player who is normally worth at least the mid-tier non-taxpayer exception (nearly $13 million). With Phoenix investing so much in its three stars (Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal), signing Jones was a huge advantage.
“Keeping him beyond this year could be a serious problem for the Suns, which is why shorter contracts on this list have mostly been ignored – but Jones stands out.”
Pincus: “The Suns have their second player on the roster, Grayson Allen, who led the NBA with 46.1 percent three-point shooting last season. Phoenix disappointed in the postseason when they were swept by the Timberwolves, but the loss of Allen to an ill-timed ankle injury contributed to that.
“Allen, 28, signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension in April, an economical price ($17.5 million average) for a starter and elite shooter with secondary playmaking skills. Given the Suns’ large payroll this season (approximately $225 million), signing Allen to a high-value contract was a must.”
Most would also consider Royce O’Neale’s recent four-year, $42 million deal with Phoenix to be a solid contract, but if Jones can establish himself as a viable starting point guard and Allen continues to maintain his strong three-point shooting, the value of these contracts is hard to argue with.