Bill Walton was wrong about one thing: the Phoenix Suns actually had Su Wan, but they traded him this summer, and it was in this trade that the Pacers acquired Dior.
That is now Joe Johnson at the Hawks, who has become the "Hawk King," averaging 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
It was expected by everyone, including the Suns, that Johnson would become an All-Star level player.
But the problem was, if they really matched the Hawks' 5-year, $70 million contract, even if the Suns won championships continuously in the following years, they wouldn't make much profit. And without a championship, they might literally lose everything.
Not only was this true for Phoenix, but Oklahoma experienced the same.
That's the tragedy of small-market cities.
The market size is just that limited.
Winning a championship only allows for a certain profit ceiling.
And talking about small markets, what about Boston?
Isn't that a large market?
