The Phoenix Suns Save $26.4 Million In Tax Penalties After Trading Away Cam Payne And Signing Bol Bol

The Phoenix Suns have made some seriously flashy moves this offseason, the main one being creating a Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. 

The team has kept Deandre Ayton despite trade talks and made some valuable additions in free agency including Eric Gordon. They made a more low-key move on Sunday, shipping out Cam Payne and some picks for four second-round picks in separate deals and signing Bol Bol. But it's helped them in one big way. 

As explained by NBA insider Bobby Marks, the Suns were due to pay $79.5 million in luxury tax penalties before these moves. But after moving on from Payne and adding Bol Bol, they will only pay $53.1 million, meaning that they saved $26.4 million, a not insignificant amount.

Cam Payne was owed $6.5 million in 2023-24, which amounts to nearly three times as much when it comes to luxury tax penalties. Bol Bol's one-year contract is likely worth over $1 million or so, meaning it is a big help to the Suns' cap sheet. 

The Suns have $172 million tied up in just four players for next season, that's how much Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton will earn combined in 2023-24. That number will only go higher moving forward too, meaning the Suns will have to keep working some miracles to build competent rosters around their stars. 

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The Suns Saved Money But Now Lack A True Point Guard

Cameron Payne was a true point guard for the Phoenix Suns, and he stepped in during times when the team didn't have Chris Paul. He was also a high-energy guy, and so despite saving $26.4 million, the Suns' team isn't under the cap and will instead have to play without a true point guard. The plan seems to be that Bradley Beal will play there, but that is going to be an experiment that has a chance of failing. 

For the Phoenix Suns moving forward, their stars will have to do all the heavy lifting. They have interesting and impactful players like Eric Gordon, Keita Bates-Diop, and Yuta Watanabe on the lineup, but new coach Frank Vogel is going to have to work some wonders. If it works though, a championship will shut up anyone that doubts this team and their new ownership. 

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