Nov 4, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler (4) and guard Brandon Knight (3) against the Sacramento Kings at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Kings 118-97. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

After being heavily criticized by Suns fans over the previous years, the front office of the Phoenix Suns must be loving free agency 2016.

What we are seeing teams do now is the same idea the Phoenix Suns already had – but the rest of the NBA is a year too late.

Teams are throwing huge contracts around because of the expanding salary cap. However, the cap has already had the most significant projected jump – $70 million in 2015-16 to $94 million in 2016-17. (Projections here).

Signing players now and justifying it by saying the cap is exploding is not sound logic. The cap has already exploded. These contracts aren’t going to suddenly shrink (relative to the cap) overnight again.

It is true that there is another jump in the salary cap coming, from a projected $94 million in 2016-17 to a projected $107 million in 2017-18. That is a 13.8% increase, and it will help the contracts signed right now have less of an impact.

Note the 2017-18 numbers were reported before a bump in the 2016-17 cap projections – meaning we could see additional increases in the cap.

However, that decrease is minor compared to the long-term contracts the Phoenix Suns signed Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and Tyson Chandler to prior to any cap explosion.

Those contracts were signed prior to the 2015-16 season ($70 million cap), or even 2014-15. The difference from $70 million to $107 million is a whopping 52.9%.

The Phoenix Suns planned ahead in prior free agency periods, and they are reaping the rewards. While they have been quiet (only signing Jared Dudley on day 1), they have already locked down serious talent in Bledsoe and Knight.

Those contracts also are great trade pieces now.

Additionally, the Suns could leave themselves in a great cap position next year if they continue to be conservative.

If the rest of the league continues to spend money like it is going out of style, the Suns will be in a position to capitalize prior to the 2017 season. That will also a better time to bring in veterans, as the team will be closer to competing.

The Phoenix Suns can use the expanding cap as a logical explanation of their contracts. These NBA teams now signing players to $16-20 million/season to be a role player or a ‘smart vet’ are using the expanding cap as an excuse for overpaying.