Deandre Ayton was eligible to sign a 5-year contract extension worth $172 million, however, no deal was signed. Ayton had a dominant postseason for the Suns, averaging 15.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, as the Suns made a run to the NBA Finals. He dominated the Clippers small ball approach (unlike Rudy Gobert) he has been healthy for most of his career, and he has only progressed since the Suns drafted him first overall in the 2018 draft, but the Suns did not extend him, so the question has to be asked: why not?
Ayton only played 38 games in 2019-20, however, in the Suns 8-0 run in the bubble, Ayton put up 15.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks on 53% from the field, not to mention he averages 18.2 points and 11.5 rebounds, overall for the season. Then this past season, in 69 of a potential 72 games, Ayton averaged 14 and 10. He has been a lock for a double-double, he is a stout defender, and he is only 23-years-old. Now, Ayton will hit restricted free agency and becomes 1 of 2 former number 1 overall picks to not get a contract extension off of his rookie deal since 2008, the other, Anthony Bennett. Ayton wanted the max, and would not take less , the Suns were not going to give him said max. Why you ask, well one could say because Robert Sarver is getting cheap again but I am not going to do that, though it is definitely a possibility. Another reason is they don’t think Ayton is a max player, which I disagree with and think that the notion of him not being a max player is ridiculous. The team extended Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet to 4-year-contract extensions, so they were clearly willing to sign extensions. Not extending Ayton is a massive risk, now he enters restricted free agency in July and any team can offer him an offer sheet, and yes cap space is limited next summer but it only takes one team, to say, here is a 3+1 or a 2+1 contract that would allow Ayton to become a free agent by 2025 at just age 25 or 26-years-old. Assuming he keeps progressing that could be a disaster situation for Phoenix.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to watch out for, like the Nets used to with guys like Otto Porter Jr., Tyler Johnson, and Allen Crabbe, the Thunder could offer Ayton a big weirdly put together contract, or even a very short 2+1 allowing Ayton to become a free agent in 2024. Though it is unlikely, Ayton could sign the qualifying offer which since he was the first pick in the draft is a very large QO ($16.4 million) and would really put the Suns in a pickle, again it is very unlikely that Ayton would sign the QO but always a possibility. There have been guys who were more undeserving of a max contract that got one. For example, Joel Embiid played in just 31 games before the Sixers gave him a max extension, Michael Porter Jr. has had constant injury issues throughout his career and signed a max, many people wondered about giving Jamal Murray a max contract when the Nuggets did. The Suns clearly feel that Ayton is not a max contract player which is a massive risk (and honestly ridiculous), because I bet that a lot of other teams around the NBA do and would be willing to sign Ayton to a short offer sheet to get him to unrestricted free agency much sooner the he would have had the Suns payed him now.
The Suns did not pay Deandre Ayton a max contract for whatever reason they have which is a roll of the dice. If they do not think Deandre Ayton is a max player now, what would change that perception by July of next year, when any team can offer Ayton a max contract. Yes, I believe they should have paid Ayton, and yes, they are taking a massive risk in not doing so. Teams in the past have gone to regret not having that extra year on a contract whether for a trade or to be able to convince the player to re-sign, see Gordon Hayward in 2017. Deandre Ayton will become a restricted free agent in July, after the Suns would not pony up the max rookie extension he was looking for, and now we will see if it comes back to bite them.
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