The price of success is coming at a cost for Toronto Raptors fans, whose season-ticket prices are rising by six per cent on average this year.

Floor seat holders will see the biggest jump with their tickets increasing by eight per cent, said Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE)’s chief commercial officer, Dave Hopkinson. Those in the lower end zones have the smallest increase, at around $2 more per game.

Given the team’s top position in the Atlantic Division and this year being the first since 2001 that the Raptors experienced a season-ticket sellout, Hopkinson said, ticket prices could have been raised even more.

But he said, “This is not a time where you go and get greedy.”

“What we don’t want to do is choke this … We are having a nice little run right now and I think we are on pace for a record for wins, but we haven’t won anything yet,” he told the Star. “We have to be very, very cautious that we are not pricing fans out of the building or we will wreck this thing.”

He also pointed out that the announced increase isn’t much of an increase at all because six years ago, prices were rolled back about 16 per cent due to the Raptor’s poor performance after losing shooting guard Vince Carter. Since then prices have been eking up slowly to the point where they are now on par with the rates before the drop.

Last season, MLSE hiked Raptors prices by 2.5 per cent citing growing player salaries, operating costs and league fees.

This year’s increase Raptors comes just days after MLSE announced it wouldn’t raise season ticket prices for the Toronto Maple Leafs—a tumultuous team that has the highest prices in the league, but hasn’t made the playoffs since 2003-2004.

The Raptors have been faring better, but Hopkinson noted the team still needs the resources to be able to “compete with the big boys” and retain upcoming free agents Amir Johnson and Lou Williams, if they so desire.

“We want to make sure we are well-positioned for long and sustained success and to reward the fans who have stuck with us through thick and thin,” he said.

But those fans might not be rewarded with splashy early-bird renewal deals involving jerseys, blankets and limited edition memorabilia, like the team doled out years ago when it was harder to get Torontonians to games. Incentives have yet to be finalized for the year, but so far, the offers only include a chance to win tickets to the 2015 NBA Finals and the 2016 all-star weekend.

Hopkinson said he wasn’t sure why MLSE has opted for a contest and not yet a giveaway, but said the company likes to “balance gifting with opportunity experiences” that bring fans closer to the players.

Plus, he joked, “After your twentieth blanket, do you need the twenty-first?”