"Rather than panic to get under the luxury tax before the season, they made it clear they will be making trades during the year -- and if they are not good, they will not be paying the tax. The modern NBA seems to be ruled more by the dollar than the dunk. That is, what is most important to organizations is not so much the on-the-court product, but rather where the team fits under the luxury tax and aprons."
"The Boston Celtics are in a large market and just won a championship in 2024, and they sold off multiple former All-Stars this summer just to slash their payroll. The Indiana Pacers let the starting center from an NBA Finals team walk lest they become a luxury tax team. Teams are terrified to end up with an expensive team, and it's warping their approach to building the most competitive roster. The Toronto Raptors are not afraid of the tax"
The Toronto Raptors assembled an expensive, unproven roster and chose not to make panic trades to avoid the luxury tax. The team plans to pursue in-season trades and will not pay the tax if trades fail to improve the roster. The modern NBA increasingly prioritizes financial positioning under the luxury tax and aprons over on-court product. Several teams cut payroll even after success, with the Celtics selling former All-Stars and the Pacers allowing a Finals starting center to depart to avoid tax implications. The Raptors retained last season's roster and made only marginal moves, with management open to change during the year.
Read at Raptors Rapture
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