The Cost of Winning
Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:11 am
In every city, the cost of living is different. It's cheaper to buy a house in Salt Lake City than it is to buy one in New York. Food in Portland is cheaper than food in Chicago. The same can be said about the price of a win. For all the talk about the salary cap, and all the focus on teams having to face the consequences of high luxury taxes, it's common sense that if you want your team to go deep into the playoffs, you've got to loosen up the purse strings. Or as they say, it takes money to make money.
So, which teams got the most bang for their bucks? Let's take a look at which cities got the most return on their investments and which teams couldn't buy a bucket.
29. Philadelphia 76ers
Salary: $80,002,261
Wins: 17
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $4,706,015.35
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a rebuild process, and though they had the worst record in the league, they also used their cap wisely. With a good draft pick to add to a roster with Gordon Hayward and DeMarcus Cousins entering their primes and the fast development of the rookie of the year, Gary Harris, things should turn around soon. Their only gaffe is Michael Beasley's contract, which still has one more year on it, but Beasley was more of a casualty of an abysmal training camp. They'll try to pawn him off to the Bobcats in the Expansion Draft.
28. Orlando Magic
Salary: $79,941,758
Wins: 17
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $4,702,456.35
Like the 76ers, the Orlando Magic are rebuilding. Unlike the 76ers, they don't have solid pieces in place. Their most promising prospects are only rookies. They did a solid job of using their cap space to flip a bunch of players around to get some points, but a solid plan is not yet in place for the future, so that's on them to figure out.
27. Los Angeles Lakers
Salary: $81,116,092
Wins: 20
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $4,055,804.60
The Lakers are another team that dished off some players for points in Hollis Thompson and Thomas Robinson. The move was a little surprising to me as both dudes are young and look like they could be promising pieces to build around Giannis Antetekounpo, who is the type of difference maker who could complete an otherwise incomplete team. The main issue with the Lakers is that they have Andrew Bynum and CJ Miles taking up half their cap space for at least a couple more years a piece. They could have exposed them in the expansion draft, but they, for some reason, did not do that.
26. New Jersey Nets
Salary: $82,439,940
Wins: 25
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $3,297,597.60
The Nets clear the books for next year with only about $30 million on the books. They say goodbye to Chris Kaman, who was responsible for most of their wins this year and look towards the future. They lose Nick Young's contract, so the only major contract they have is Danny Green's contract, which isn't great, but it's not bad either. Once Jeremy Lamb develops, his contract will be a great value. With the right moves in the offseason, the Nets could really start to turn things around soon, but they'll really have to hit a home run since there are so many pieces they'll need.
25. New York Knicks
Salary: $82,210,691
Wins: 29
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,834,851.41
The Knicks got off to a rough start this season with Nikola Jokic's immediate injury. Their team is probably better than their record implies, and they have a young, inexpensive core that's still developing. Their biggest contracts belong to Jeremy Lin and Wesley Matthews with Wes' max being a little bit more earned. If their young guys can develop a little more in training camp next year, the Knicks should be in a much better spot. They've got enough depth at the guard spots to make a team-balancing trade. Look for them to try to sign and trade Chandler Parsons to get some value for him.
24. Sacramento Kings
Salary: $62,768,395
Wins: 23
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,729,060.65
No surprises here. It's another team in a rebuild. A trade for Amare Stoudemire lost them the tank race, but the future is wide open in Sac-town. One would assume they will try and retain Vucevic in RFA with so much money to throw around, but the turnaround might really begin in 2016, where they have four first round picks that they acquired through trading away most of their assets. If they can lose DJ Augustin in the expansion draft, they'll have a few talented youngsters and a clean slate beyond that.
23. Portland Trailblazers
Salary: $98,083,471
Wins: 36
Tax Bill: 41 points
Cost Per Win: $2,724,540.86
Things did not work out for the Blazers as planned. They spent a whole hell of a lot of money to not make the playoffs, and that's surprising to me given their GM's mind for stats and metrics. Still, the Ish Smith contract probably came as a bit of a surprise. They've got money tied up there, where Derrick Rose should probably be playing, so once RFA ends, they might be best suited trying to find a better home for Ish in exchange for a few current or future pieces. Also questionable is Carlos Boozer, who is still fantastic, but also will be 34 next season. They only have 4 returning players and not a lot of cap space to play around with, so hopefully, the Blazers are able to make some moves that set them up for the future.
22. Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary: $101,746,790
Wins: 41
Tax Bill: 27 points
Cost Per Win: $2,481,629.02
The Cavs could be in a lot of trouble. They spent a lot of money to make it to that 8th spot in an extremely tough division, but that puts them out of the lotto and up against the heavily favored Hawks. They'll lose their worst contract when Marc Gasol hits free agency, and they have Al Jefferson ready to return to his natural position next year, but Al came at the cost of some draft picks. They only have one draft pick (2016) in the next three years. With Chris Paul's supermax, while wholly worth it, the Cavs have a lot of money tied up in two players approaching the dreaded 31 line, and they have about enough for one max (or close to max) contract more to work with to fill out a roster for next year that currently can't field even a starting lineup.
21. Vancouver Grizzlies
Salary: $83,033,773
Wins: 36
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,306,463.69
We're finally below the league-wide average for cost per win with the Grizzlies, and hopefully, them settling on an actual city will give them some better luck after just missing the playoffs again. They're getting rid of Tony Allen's contract next year as well as Carl Landry's. They're also hoping to get rid of Omer Asik's contract through the expansion draft. They're going to need that space. Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, and Andre Drummond are all simultaneously hitting RFA. I don't think they'll all get maxes, because they'll need more pieces around this trio who will go from being value players to being expensive.
20. Dallas Mavericks
Salary: $96,771,673
Wins: 42
Tax Bill: 19 points
Cost Per Win: $2,304,087.45
Taking a look at the Maverick's contracts is about as fruitful as taking a look at their roster. They were able to have a pretty decent season when everyone was counting them out. While DeRozan's contract looks a little high, he was still very productive. They'll lose a great value contract in Zaza Pachulia. Still, they probably wanted more return on their spend, and with only a little offseason wiggle room, they'll probably want to do something to put either George Hill or Jrue Holiday on the block for a big next year, or they'll have a hard time defying expectations once again.
19. Los Angeles Clippers
Salary: $85,078,596
Wins: 37
Tax Bill: 6 points
Cost Per Win: $2,299,421.51
The Clippers missed the playoffs, which was a surprise, given, well, Kevin Durant, who averaged almost 40 a game. They declined Delonte West's bigger contract for next year, a decision probably helped by the lack of postseason. That frees up some space to put some pieces around KD. It might make sense for them to go for a bunch of solid role players instead of another max guy. It's working for Phoenix.
18. Boston Celtics
Salary: $89,280,390
Wins: 39
Tax Bill: 10
Cost Per Win: $2,289,240
The Celtics looks similar by the numbers to the Clippers, but they're two situationally different teams. They missed out on the postseason, so it'll be interesting to see if they try to run it again with Spencer Hawes, who was both expensive and productive. John Wall had a tremendous season in the first year of his max. They just need a good PF for a complete lineup next year, but if they want to bring back Hawes, it's on them to get one between now and UFA if they want to make a run at the playoffs next season.
17. New Orleans Hornets
Salary: $82,289,825
Wins: 36
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,285,828.47
The Hornets had high expectations at the beginning of the year, but in a rough division, they realized that they weren't in a win now situation, so they made some midseason moves. The acquisition of Blake Griffin didn't do all too much to get them to the playoffs, and the upgrade from an older, shorter term piece like Randolph also cost them their two promising rooks in Parker and Smart as well as a 2016 1st. The value of this deal hinges on whether they can get their shit together next year, and the chances of that strongly hinge on their ability to lose Mozgov in the Expansion Draft.
16. Seattle Supersonics
Salary: $85,976,565
Wins: 39
Tax Bill: 12
Cost Per Win: $2,204,527.31
Speaking of the Supersonics, they're next on the list, and they're in kind of a weird spot. They did make the playoffs by virtue of being in the West, but unless they cut ties with Isaiah Thomas in RFA, they'll pretty much be bringing back the same team. They are keeping Z-Bo on the books, despite his age, and will be paying Tyson Chandler big money for another year or two as he ages. On the bright side, CJ McCollum looks like he'll be incredible, but with guards not yet in their prime and bigs entering their twilights, they'll need to do something to balance the team out if they don't want to remain stuck in the middle.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
Salary: $69,766,619
Wins: 32
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,180,206.84
The Timberwolves enter year two of their rebuild, and they've got a lot of talented young players on low contracts. Even though they did about as well as could be expected, they were the team with the median cost per win. JNR is a seasoned GM who is weathering this rebuild well. After retaining Kemba, they'll have their pick and a little wiggle room with more the year after that to piece together a team that should all start to bloom together in a couple seasons with Gobert, Wiggins, and Porter, Jr. all looking like they'll be forces to be reckoned with.
14. Denver Nuggets
Salary: $117,892,319
Wins: 55
Tax Bill: 57 points
Cost Per Win: $2,143,496.71
The Nuggets are the first team I'd consider a true championship competitor here, and they've spent a pretty penny to lock up the Midwest after a rocky (no pun intended) start. They're also one of only three teams to have to pay more points in lux tax than they garnered wins (the Hawks and Warriors are the other ones). Obviously, it's now time for the Nugs, and while they have some high contracts, none of them are too bad. The worst might be Livingston's but he's still an interesting player. They're hoping they can drop Biedrins in the Expansion Draft, because after supermaxing Rondo, they'll still probably be over the 2015 cap even before having to max (or supermax) Klay in RFA.
13. Washington Wizards
Salary: $106,149,996
Wins: 51
Tax Bill: 42 points
Cost Per Win: $2,081,372.47
While the Wizards are a very good team, I still think that they're spending a bit too much money. After stealing T-Mac on a vet min last season, they have taken a small step back without him, and the price tag is still 9 figures. It seems like they know this as they've offered up Gerald Green into the Expansion Draft and declined their team option on Ersan Ilyasova. That should open up some options for the future, and with only the 2016 Jazz first, they're going to need to be a bit creative with their retool after this season.
12. San Antonio Spurs
Salary: $77,617,250
Wins: 38
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,042,559.21
It's a testament to Eazy's craftiness as a GM that his team is the only team without a tax bill to make the playoffs. He's got a couple of fantastic players in Russell Westbrook and Josh Smith, who are enough to keep his team competitive, and is starting to build up young and promising talent. Eventually, I think Smith has got to go before the window closes if the Spurs want to kick off a rebuild, but it depends on how much value they want to get for him. They can still wait and probably get a good return in a year if they don't start making moves this off-season.
11. Golden State Warriors
Salary: $110,694,209
Wins: 55
Tax Bill: 78 points
Cost Per Win: $2,012,621.98
The Warriors have been a perennial contender since I've been in PBSL, and they've got the tax bill (and the ability to cover the tax bill) to prove it. Outspent only by the Nuggets (and holding the same record), the Warriors hold the #3 spot out West. One could argue that Arron Afflalo's contract is a little high, but he's still an efficient scorer and it's the last year of his contract. They'll be in trade or vet min territory next year, and eventually, they'll have to ease off on the gas when it comes to spending, but the Warriors could also let that happen naturally. Without a 2015 draft pick, and with the loss of Afflalo, it might make sense to try to offload Ryan Anderson's contract in exchange for some talented but greener players and craft a new identity around Curry and DeAndre, but then again, if you have both of those players on your roster at once, you know your team can be competitive.
10. Houston Rockets
Salary: $87,986,904
Wins: 45
Tax Bill: 12 points
Cost Per Win: $1,955,264.53
We're into the top 10 lowest costs per win, and these 10 teams are getting wins for less than $2 million per. The Rockets hold the 5 spot out West, and the Rockets managed to do what they're doing with two reasonable large contracts on Lawson and Horford and a wealth of depth on good short term contracts (D.J. White, T-Mac, Stephenson). They're starting pretty much from scratch next year with some of their core players, but they've got a lot of gaps to fill, and it'll be interesting to see what the Rockets look like next year.
9. Toronto Raptors
Salary: $110,946,167
Wins: 58
Tax Bill: 41 points
Cost Per Win: $1,912,864.95
The Raptors skyrocketed into contender status last year by trading a hearty package of picks and prospects to fuel the Timberwolves rebuild for Bosh and Lowry. Toronto seems to be a more suitable home for the two, who weren't able to net a championship for the Wolves. Hopes are higher with the Raptors, who have solid deals on guys like Monta Ellis, Andre Iguodala, and Evan Turner. Not to mention, they have a bonafide steal on Hassan Whiteside, and his non-max contract just started!
8. Miami Heat
Salary: $98,994,719
Wins: 53
Tax Bill: 41
Cost Per Win: $1,867,824.89
At the beginning of the season, the Heat were barely able to pay off their luxury bill with another large one looming. 41 points isn't bad, but the team had to do plenty of paring, swapping Al Jefferson for Ike Diogu and some picks, then packaging Diogu with Mayo to get a better player in Goran Dragic while shedding about another $10 million. While they still have Ibaka's oversized contract, their larger contracts in LeBron and Goran are both on highly productive players. What's even more impressive is that the Heat were able to avoid a complete disaster and still win their division.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
Salary: $86,675,976
Wins: 48
Tax Bill: 6 points
Cost Per Win: $1,805,749.50
After years of rebuilding, the Bucks young and deep roster is finally starting to pay off, granting them a solid record with a total salary that comes in just a bit over the cap. They're not paying anyone more than $13.5 million this year, and they've got a team where their 2nd line could easily start. However, the issue with the Bucks is two-fold. They don't have an elite player yet...Kyrie can get there, but at best right now, he's only on the cusp. Second, they're going to have to pay Kyrie, Kanter, and Kenneth Fareid in RFA next year or let them go. If they do roll it back, they're going to be trading a little depth for further development of their young core.
6. Utah Jazz
Salary: $88,272,108
Wins: 50
Tax Bill: 12 points
Cost Per Win: $1,765,442.16
The Jazz are build around 3 big contracts right now: Paul George, Ricky Rubio, and Andrew Bogut. It looks like they'll be using a similar formula to the Clippers with Durant, and that's a formula that could lead to a whole lot of success. The only issue I can see here is that Bogut is getting up there in years on a long and expensive contract. They'll need to play some smart moneyball (and get lucky) with their vet mins, but PG and Rubio should keep the Jazz afloat for the lengths of their contracts (and possibly their next contracts),
5. Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $107,956,004
Wins: 63
Tax Bill: 70 points
Cost Per Win: $1,713,587.37
Winning championships don't come cheap as the Hawks seek to defend their title with the highest tax bill in the league. With players like Carmelo, Noah, and Rudy Gay, the Hawks have to have deep pockets. But the biggest difference isn't in their max contracts. What puts the Hawks over the edge is the smaller contracts they're able to obtain. They've got Nate Robinson on vet min money for a 2nd year in a row. They've got Khris Middleton being productive on his rookie deal. They're the favorites to win it all again this year, and if they do, it'll be interesting to see if they can bring some of their core pieces back. They'll need to convince Nate Robinson (or another PG) to come on for cheap again, and they'll need to either pay Noah (or another C) again, putting them in repeater tax purgatory, or hope that Jeff Adrien doesn't get snatched by the Bobcats (of course if they didn't want that to happen, they could've put up Aaron Gordon). They've got 3 picks in the next draft, but nothing better than mid-late 1st round. Will we see this iteration of the Hawks crumble, or does Wig keep paying the tax as long as they are playing well enough to earn the points to cover it?
4. Chicago Bulls
Salary: $91,949,689
Wins: 58
Tax Bill: 19
Cost Per Win: $1,585,339.62
The Chicago Bulls are coming off their best season ever, and they're kind of toward the high middle of the pack in terms of spending. They've got a handful of great contracts (Gallinari, Taj, Sessions, and Millsap), some good rookie deals (Beverley, LaVine), a no-nonsense max in James Harden, and a bit of an overexpensive contract on Dwight Howard. The Bulls opted not to expose Howard and try to dump his 30 million in salary next year, but they'll lose Ramon Sessions, too, if they are unable to retain him at what will likely be a much higher price next year. Already a repeat offender of the luxury tax, the Bulls have a tough road ahead if they want to make this their year and an even tougher one trying to get the pieces in place to justify a third year in a row over the tax next year. All the pieces in the offseason will need to end up just right.
3. Indiana Pacers
Salary: $83,691,655
Wins: 53
Tax Bill: 6
Cost Per Win: $1,579,087.83
Pauly is a pretty frugal GM, and he's able to get a lot of value out of his players. With Deron Williams as the lone centerpiece of his team, he can afford to spend a little bit elsewhere to add pieces around him. He bid high to attract Ron Artest, and although Artest had yet another season go by without a clean bill of health, another smart addition in Greg Oden at a very nice price and the rookie contracts of the solidly developing Iman Shumpert and Dewayne Dedmon give Indiana a competitive team with pesky defense and Deron's unstoppable offense. The one contract that's perhaps a bit too high going into next year is Danny Granger, but they can even rid themselves of that money if he goes in the expansion draft, and will have either a decent amount or another max amount to play with as they've already decided not to bring back Ron Artest.
2. Phoenix Suns
Salary: $87,539,073
Wins: 58
Tax Bill: 12
Cost Per Win: $1,509,294.36
The Phoenix Suns are many people's picks to make it to the Finals from the West, and the combination of MVP Kevin Love and smart roster moves make the Suns a hugely cost effective team. They'll be looking for a point guard in the offseason, but for right now, the Suns shouldn't be looking that far ahead. They've got a genuine shot of making it all the way, and they didn't have to pay too high a tax bill to do that. Their main competition in the West (and the East, too) spent in the 9 figures, and having a player like Love...much like Deron Williams above...will allow the Suns to compete for the rest of Love's tenure without ever having to worry about the tax-man.
1. Detroit Pistons
Salary: $50,663,064
Wins: 35
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $1,447,516.11
Helmed by a mysterious new GM, the Pistons are number one for one reason, and one reason only. Anthony Davis is their only really relevant player right now. You can maybe argue that Bradley Beal is a distant second, but Anthony Davis is responsible for an overwhelming majority of their win share. In fact, his EWA is HIGHER than the actual amount of wins that the Pistons ended with. I'm not going to look too deeply into this, but the only other player that overdominant to his team is Kevin Durant on the Clippers. Obviously, the Pistons need a few more pieces. So long as they have Anthony Davis, they'll never be bad enough to not need to get lucky for a top draft pick. In any case, the Pistons have Davis for his rookie deal for only one more year, and he's win ready now. They better not waste their excess cap space next year. They could've participated a lot more to take on some contracts and build up some points, because for the Pistons to be a force, they should max out that cap room they've got next year on win now pieces to put around Davis for 2016, when they'll need to pay him. With a rookie GM, however, especially one who has made some questionable moves without much of a presence to try to explain them, who the Frye knows?
So, which teams got the most bang for their bucks? Let's take a look at which cities got the most return on their investments and which teams couldn't buy a bucket.
29. Philadelphia 76ers
Salary: $80,002,261
Wins: 17
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $4,706,015.35
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a rebuild process, and though they had the worst record in the league, they also used their cap wisely. With a good draft pick to add to a roster with Gordon Hayward and DeMarcus Cousins entering their primes and the fast development of the rookie of the year, Gary Harris, things should turn around soon. Their only gaffe is Michael Beasley's contract, which still has one more year on it, but Beasley was more of a casualty of an abysmal training camp. They'll try to pawn him off to the Bobcats in the Expansion Draft.
28. Orlando Magic
Salary: $79,941,758
Wins: 17
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $4,702,456.35
Like the 76ers, the Orlando Magic are rebuilding. Unlike the 76ers, they don't have solid pieces in place. Their most promising prospects are only rookies. They did a solid job of using their cap space to flip a bunch of players around to get some points, but a solid plan is not yet in place for the future, so that's on them to figure out.
27. Los Angeles Lakers
Salary: $81,116,092
Wins: 20
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $4,055,804.60
The Lakers are another team that dished off some players for points in Hollis Thompson and Thomas Robinson. The move was a little surprising to me as both dudes are young and look like they could be promising pieces to build around Giannis Antetekounpo, who is the type of difference maker who could complete an otherwise incomplete team. The main issue with the Lakers is that they have Andrew Bynum and CJ Miles taking up half their cap space for at least a couple more years a piece. They could have exposed them in the expansion draft, but they, for some reason, did not do that.
26. New Jersey Nets
Salary: $82,439,940
Wins: 25
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $3,297,597.60
The Nets clear the books for next year with only about $30 million on the books. They say goodbye to Chris Kaman, who was responsible for most of their wins this year and look towards the future. They lose Nick Young's contract, so the only major contract they have is Danny Green's contract, which isn't great, but it's not bad either. Once Jeremy Lamb develops, his contract will be a great value. With the right moves in the offseason, the Nets could really start to turn things around soon, but they'll really have to hit a home run since there are so many pieces they'll need.
25. New York Knicks
Salary: $82,210,691
Wins: 29
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,834,851.41
The Knicks got off to a rough start this season with Nikola Jokic's immediate injury. Their team is probably better than their record implies, and they have a young, inexpensive core that's still developing. Their biggest contracts belong to Jeremy Lin and Wesley Matthews with Wes' max being a little bit more earned. If their young guys can develop a little more in training camp next year, the Knicks should be in a much better spot. They've got enough depth at the guard spots to make a team-balancing trade. Look for them to try to sign and trade Chandler Parsons to get some value for him.
24. Sacramento Kings
Salary: $62,768,395
Wins: 23
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,729,060.65
No surprises here. It's another team in a rebuild. A trade for Amare Stoudemire lost them the tank race, but the future is wide open in Sac-town. One would assume they will try and retain Vucevic in RFA with so much money to throw around, but the turnaround might really begin in 2016, where they have four first round picks that they acquired through trading away most of their assets. If they can lose DJ Augustin in the expansion draft, they'll have a few talented youngsters and a clean slate beyond that.
23. Portland Trailblazers
Salary: $98,083,471
Wins: 36
Tax Bill: 41 points
Cost Per Win: $2,724,540.86
Things did not work out for the Blazers as planned. They spent a whole hell of a lot of money to not make the playoffs, and that's surprising to me given their GM's mind for stats and metrics. Still, the Ish Smith contract probably came as a bit of a surprise. They've got money tied up there, where Derrick Rose should probably be playing, so once RFA ends, they might be best suited trying to find a better home for Ish in exchange for a few current or future pieces. Also questionable is Carlos Boozer, who is still fantastic, but also will be 34 next season. They only have 4 returning players and not a lot of cap space to play around with, so hopefully, the Blazers are able to make some moves that set them up for the future.
22. Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary: $101,746,790
Wins: 41
Tax Bill: 27 points
Cost Per Win: $2,481,629.02
The Cavs could be in a lot of trouble. They spent a lot of money to make it to that 8th spot in an extremely tough division, but that puts them out of the lotto and up against the heavily favored Hawks. They'll lose their worst contract when Marc Gasol hits free agency, and they have Al Jefferson ready to return to his natural position next year, but Al came at the cost of some draft picks. They only have one draft pick (2016) in the next three years. With Chris Paul's supermax, while wholly worth it, the Cavs have a lot of money tied up in two players approaching the dreaded 31 line, and they have about enough for one max (or close to max) contract more to work with to fill out a roster for next year that currently can't field even a starting lineup.
21. Vancouver Grizzlies
Salary: $83,033,773
Wins: 36
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,306,463.69
We're finally below the league-wide average for cost per win with the Grizzlies, and hopefully, them settling on an actual city will give them some better luck after just missing the playoffs again. They're getting rid of Tony Allen's contract next year as well as Carl Landry's. They're also hoping to get rid of Omer Asik's contract through the expansion draft. They're going to need that space. Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, and Andre Drummond are all simultaneously hitting RFA. I don't think they'll all get maxes, because they'll need more pieces around this trio who will go from being value players to being expensive.
20. Dallas Mavericks
Salary: $96,771,673
Wins: 42
Tax Bill: 19 points
Cost Per Win: $2,304,087.45
Taking a look at the Maverick's contracts is about as fruitful as taking a look at their roster. They were able to have a pretty decent season when everyone was counting them out. While DeRozan's contract looks a little high, he was still very productive. They'll lose a great value contract in Zaza Pachulia. Still, they probably wanted more return on their spend, and with only a little offseason wiggle room, they'll probably want to do something to put either George Hill or Jrue Holiday on the block for a big next year, or they'll have a hard time defying expectations once again.
19. Los Angeles Clippers
Salary: $85,078,596
Wins: 37
Tax Bill: 6 points
Cost Per Win: $2,299,421.51
The Clippers missed the playoffs, which was a surprise, given, well, Kevin Durant, who averaged almost 40 a game. They declined Delonte West's bigger contract for next year, a decision probably helped by the lack of postseason. That frees up some space to put some pieces around KD. It might make sense for them to go for a bunch of solid role players instead of another max guy. It's working for Phoenix.
18. Boston Celtics
Salary: $89,280,390
Wins: 39
Tax Bill: 10
Cost Per Win: $2,289,240
The Celtics looks similar by the numbers to the Clippers, but they're two situationally different teams. They missed out on the postseason, so it'll be interesting to see if they try to run it again with Spencer Hawes, who was both expensive and productive. John Wall had a tremendous season in the first year of his max. They just need a good PF for a complete lineup next year, but if they want to bring back Hawes, it's on them to get one between now and UFA if they want to make a run at the playoffs next season.
17. New Orleans Hornets
Salary: $82,289,825
Wins: 36
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,285,828.47
The Hornets had high expectations at the beginning of the year, but in a rough division, they realized that they weren't in a win now situation, so they made some midseason moves. The acquisition of Blake Griffin didn't do all too much to get them to the playoffs, and the upgrade from an older, shorter term piece like Randolph also cost them their two promising rooks in Parker and Smart as well as a 2016 1st. The value of this deal hinges on whether they can get their shit together next year, and the chances of that strongly hinge on their ability to lose Mozgov in the Expansion Draft.
16. Seattle Supersonics
Salary: $85,976,565
Wins: 39
Tax Bill: 12
Cost Per Win: $2,204,527.31
Speaking of the Supersonics, they're next on the list, and they're in kind of a weird spot. They did make the playoffs by virtue of being in the West, but unless they cut ties with Isaiah Thomas in RFA, they'll pretty much be bringing back the same team. They are keeping Z-Bo on the books, despite his age, and will be paying Tyson Chandler big money for another year or two as he ages. On the bright side, CJ McCollum looks like he'll be incredible, but with guards not yet in their prime and bigs entering their twilights, they'll need to do something to balance the team out if they don't want to remain stuck in the middle.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
Salary: $69,766,619
Wins: 32
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,180,206.84
The Timberwolves enter year two of their rebuild, and they've got a lot of talented young players on low contracts. Even though they did about as well as could be expected, they were the team with the median cost per win. JNR is a seasoned GM who is weathering this rebuild well. After retaining Kemba, they'll have their pick and a little wiggle room with more the year after that to piece together a team that should all start to bloom together in a couple seasons with Gobert, Wiggins, and Porter, Jr. all looking like they'll be forces to be reckoned with.
14. Denver Nuggets
Salary: $117,892,319
Wins: 55
Tax Bill: 57 points
Cost Per Win: $2,143,496.71
The Nuggets are the first team I'd consider a true championship competitor here, and they've spent a pretty penny to lock up the Midwest after a rocky (no pun intended) start. They're also one of only three teams to have to pay more points in lux tax than they garnered wins (the Hawks and Warriors are the other ones). Obviously, it's now time for the Nugs, and while they have some high contracts, none of them are too bad. The worst might be Livingston's but he's still an interesting player. They're hoping they can drop Biedrins in the Expansion Draft, because after supermaxing Rondo, they'll still probably be over the 2015 cap even before having to max (or supermax) Klay in RFA.
13. Washington Wizards
Salary: $106,149,996
Wins: 51
Tax Bill: 42 points
Cost Per Win: $2,081,372.47
While the Wizards are a very good team, I still think that they're spending a bit too much money. After stealing T-Mac on a vet min last season, they have taken a small step back without him, and the price tag is still 9 figures. It seems like they know this as they've offered up Gerald Green into the Expansion Draft and declined their team option on Ersan Ilyasova. That should open up some options for the future, and with only the 2016 Jazz first, they're going to need to be a bit creative with their retool after this season.
12. San Antonio Spurs
Salary: $77,617,250
Wins: 38
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $2,042,559.21
It's a testament to Eazy's craftiness as a GM that his team is the only team without a tax bill to make the playoffs. He's got a couple of fantastic players in Russell Westbrook and Josh Smith, who are enough to keep his team competitive, and is starting to build up young and promising talent. Eventually, I think Smith has got to go before the window closes if the Spurs want to kick off a rebuild, but it depends on how much value they want to get for him. They can still wait and probably get a good return in a year if they don't start making moves this off-season.
11. Golden State Warriors
Salary: $110,694,209
Wins: 55
Tax Bill: 78 points
Cost Per Win: $2,012,621.98
The Warriors have been a perennial contender since I've been in PBSL, and they've got the tax bill (and the ability to cover the tax bill) to prove it. Outspent only by the Nuggets (and holding the same record), the Warriors hold the #3 spot out West. One could argue that Arron Afflalo's contract is a little high, but he's still an efficient scorer and it's the last year of his contract. They'll be in trade or vet min territory next year, and eventually, they'll have to ease off on the gas when it comes to spending, but the Warriors could also let that happen naturally. Without a 2015 draft pick, and with the loss of Afflalo, it might make sense to try to offload Ryan Anderson's contract in exchange for some talented but greener players and craft a new identity around Curry and DeAndre, but then again, if you have both of those players on your roster at once, you know your team can be competitive.
10. Houston Rockets
Salary: $87,986,904
Wins: 45
Tax Bill: 12 points
Cost Per Win: $1,955,264.53
We're into the top 10 lowest costs per win, and these 10 teams are getting wins for less than $2 million per. The Rockets hold the 5 spot out West, and the Rockets managed to do what they're doing with two reasonable large contracts on Lawson and Horford and a wealth of depth on good short term contracts (D.J. White, T-Mac, Stephenson). They're starting pretty much from scratch next year with some of their core players, but they've got a lot of gaps to fill, and it'll be interesting to see what the Rockets look like next year.
9. Toronto Raptors
Salary: $110,946,167
Wins: 58
Tax Bill: 41 points
Cost Per Win: $1,912,864.95
The Raptors skyrocketed into contender status last year by trading a hearty package of picks and prospects to fuel the Timberwolves rebuild for Bosh and Lowry. Toronto seems to be a more suitable home for the two, who weren't able to net a championship for the Wolves. Hopes are higher with the Raptors, who have solid deals on guys like Monta Ellis, Andre Iguodala, and Evan Turner. Not to mention, they have a bonafide steal on Hassan Whiteside, and his non-max contract just started!
8. Miami Heat
Salary: $98,994,719
Wins: 53
Tax Bill: 41
Cost Per Win: $1,867,824.89
At the beginning of the season, the Heat were barely able to pay off their luxury bill with another large one looming. 41 points isn't bad, but the team had to do plenty of paring, swapping Al Jefferson for Ike Diogu and some picks, then packaging Diogu with Mayo to get a better player in Goran Dragic while shedding about another $10 million. While they still have Ibaka's oversized contract, their larger contracts in LeBron and Goran are both on highly productive players. What's even more impressive is that the Heat were able to avoid a complete disaster and still win their division.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
Salary: $86,675,976
Wins: 48
Tax Bill: 6 points
Cost Per Win: $1,805,749.50
After years of rebuilding, the Bucks young and deep roster is finally starting to pay off, granting them a solid record with a total salary that comes in just a bit over the cap. They're not paying anyone more than $13.5 million this year, and they've got a team where their 2nd line could easily start. However, the issue with the Bucks is two-fold. They don't have an elite player yet...Kyrie can get there, but at best right now, he's only on the cusp. Second, they're going to have to pay Kyrie, Kanter, and Kenneth Fareid in RFA next year or let them go. If they do roll it back, they're going to be trading a little depth for further development of their young core.
6. Utah Jazz
Salary: $88,272,108
Wins: 50
Tax Bill: 12 points
Cost Per Win: $1,765,442.16
The Jazz are build around 3 big contracts right now: Paul George, Ricky Rubio, and Andrew Bogut. It looks like they'll be using a similar formula to the Clippers with Durant, and that's a formula that could lead to a whole lot of success. The only issue I can see here is that Bogut is getting up there in years on a long and expensive contract. They'll need to play some smart moneyball (and get lucky) with their vet mins, but PG and Rubio should keep the Jazz afloat for the lengths of their contracts (and possibly their next contracts),
5. Atlanta Hawks
Salary: $107,956,004
Wins: 63
Tax Bill: 70 points
Cost Per Win: $1,713,587.37
Winning championships don't come cheap as the Hawks seek to defend their title with the highest tax bill in the league. With players like Carmelo, Noah, and Rudy Gay, the Hawks have to have deep pockets. But the biggest difference isn't in their max contracts. What puts the Hawks over the edge is the smaller contracts they're able to obtain. They've got Nate Robinson on vet min money for a 2nd year in a row. They've got Khris Middleton being productive on his rookie deal. They're the favorites to win it all again this year, and if they do, it'll be interesting to see if they can bring some of their core pieces back. They'll need to convince Nate Robinson (or another PG) to come on for cheap again, and they'll need to either pay Noah (or another C) again, putting them in repeater tax purgatory, or hope that Jeff Adrien doesn't get snatched by the Bobcats (of course if they didn't want that to happen, they could've put up Aaron Gordon). They've got 3 picks in the next draft, but nothing better than mid-late 1st round. Will we see this iteration of the Hawks crumble, or does Wig keep paying the tax as long as they are playing well enough to earn the points to cover it?
4. Chicago Bulls
Salary: $91,949,689
Wins: 58
Tax Bill: 19
Cost Per Win: $1,585,339.62
The Chicago Bulls are coming off their best season ever, and they're kind of toward the high middle of the pack in terms of spending. They've got a handful of great contracts (Gallinari, Taj, Sessions, and Millsap), some good rookie deals (Beverley, LaVine), a no-nonsense max in James Harden, and a bit of an overexpensive contract on Dwight Howard. The Bulls opted not to expose Howard and try to dump his 30 million in salary next year, but they'll lose Ramon Sessions, too, if they are unable to retain him at what will likely be a much higher price next year. Already a repeat offender of the luxury tax, the Bulls have a tough road ahead if they want to make this their year and an even tougher one trying to get the pieces in place to justify a third year in a row over the tax next year. All the pieces in the offseason will need to end up just right.
3. Indiana Pacers
Salary: $83,691,655
Wins: 53
Tax Bill: 6
Cost Per Win: $1,579,087.83
Pauly is a pretty frugal GM, and he's able to get a lot of value out of his players. With Deron Williams as the lone centerpiece of his team, he can afford to spend a little bit elsewhere to add pieces around him. He bid high to attract Ron Artest, and although Artest had yet another season go by without a clean bill of health, another smart addition in Greg Oden at a very nice price and the rookie contracts of the solidly developing Iman Shumpert and Dewayne Dedmon give Indiana a competitive team with pesky defense and Deron's unstoppable offense. The one contract that's perhaps a bit too high going into next year is Danny Granger, but they can even rid themselves of that money if he goes in the expansion draft, and will have either a decent amount or another max amount to play with as they've already decided not to bring back Ron Artest.
2. Phoenix Suns
Salary: $87,539,073
Wins: 58
Tax Bill: 12
Cost Per Win: $1,509,294.36
The Phoenix Suns are many people's picks to make it to the Finals from the West, and the combination of MVP Kevin Love and smart roster moves make the Suns a hugely cost effective team. They'll be looking for a point guard in the offseason, but for right now, the Suns shouldn't be looking that far ahead. They've got a genuine shot of making it all the way, and they didn't have to pay too high a tax bill to do that. Their main competition in the West (and the East, too) spent in the 9 figures, and having a player like Love...much like Deron Williams above...will allow the Suns to compete for the rest of Love's tenure without ever having to worry about the tax-man.
1. Detroit Pistons
Salary: $50,663,064
Wins: 35
Tax Bill: None
Cost Per Win: $1,447,516.11
Helmed by a mysterious new GM, the Pistons are number one for one reason, and one reason only. Anthony Davis is their only really relevant player right now. You can maybe argue that Bradley Beal is a distant second, but Anthony Davis is responsible for an overwhelming majority of their win share. In fact, his EWA is HIGHER than the actual amount of wins that the Pistons ended with. I'm not going to look too deeply into this, but the only other player that overdominant to his team is Kevin Durant on the Clippers. Obviously, the Pistons need a few more pieces. So long as they have Anthony Davis, they'll never be bad enough to not need to get lucky for a top draft pick. In any case, the Pistons have Davis for his rookie deal for only one more year, and he's win ready now. They better not waste their excess cap space next year. They could've participated a lot more to take on some contracts and build up some points, because for the Pistons to be a force, they should max out that cap room they've got next year on win now pieces to put around Davis for 2016, when they'll need to pay him. With a rookie GM, however, especially one who has made some questionable moves without much of a presence to try to explain them, who the Frye knows?