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The Cleveland Cavaliers’ world title came with a very expensive bill.
Per ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Cavs will have to pay $54 million in luxury tax for this past season. That total is by far the highest in the NBA.
Link to the @espn latest on the champion Cavaliers and their NBA-high $54 million luxury tax bill --> https://t.co/dJVVDdJHgl
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 3, 2016
LooThe team with the second highest tax bill was the Los Angeles Clippers at $19.9 million. The other tax teams are the Golden State Warriors ($14.8 million), the Oklahoma City Thunder ($14.8 million), the San Antonio Spurs ($4.9 million), the Houston Rockets ($4.9 million) and the Chicago Bulls ($4.2 million).
The Cavs surely knew this bill was coming - their salary was the league’s highest this year by far - and Gilbert hasn’t hesitated to spend money over the past two season since LeBron James returned. Looking ahead to next season, the Cavs are already close to the tax with a still incomplete roster.
In truth, the tax bill is a product of how the Cavs have built their team in the past two seasons. The only team to ever spend more than than Cleveland in luxury taxes are the 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets, who spent $90.57 million. Such is the price to win a title.