The Phoenix Suns made a surprising run to the NBA Finals last season. They took control early in the series jumping out to a 2-0 lead but ultimately fell short as they could not stop the momentum the Milwaukee Bucks built.
Phoenix eventually lost the series in six games, but they announced their presence as one of the premier teams in the league. A lot of the praise has been heaped on Chris Paul for helping the team turn things around, but he was just the final piece to the puzzle.
Phoenix has a lot of incredible talent on their roster. Paul helped bring the most out of players such as Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Cam Johnson.
But, this Suns team showed they were ready to take that next step during the Orlando Bubble in 2020 where they went undefeated and narrowly missed the postseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This Pistons-Suns Trade Is Focused On Jerami Grant
From the outside looking in, it would be a no-brainer for the Suns to want to keep that core together for as long as possible. Locking up Ayton should be their next order of business, but according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, discussions on an extension have stalled.
“The Phoenix Suns’ reluctance to offer a maximum rookie contract extension to 2018 No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton has stalled discussions on a deal, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.”
Wojnarowski reports the Suns’ hesitancy to offer a maximum rookie extension to Ayton is the reason that talks have stopped.
“Ayton, a key part of the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals, has no intention of accepting a deal less than the comparable max contracts signed by several of his 2018 NBA draft classmates, including Atlanta’s Trae Young, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Michael Porter Jr., sources told ESPN.”
This has taken an unexpected turn, as an Ayton extension seemed like it would go smoothly. It was widely expected for him to sign the same max contract that fellow players from his draft class, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Michael Porter Jr. all signed.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This Pistons-Suns Trade Is Focused On Jerami Grant
It is stunning that the Suns are reluctant to sign Ayton to a similar deal. He has blossomed under head coach Monty Williams and become a two-way force for the Suns. If an extension is not agreed upon, it could put a black cloud over the organization all season as the media will constantly ask questions about his looming free agency.
The Suns and Ayton have until October 18th to hammer out an extension. If nothing is agreed upon, he will become a restricted free agent this upcoming summer and things could get tenuous between Ayton and the organization.
