The Phoenix Suns made a peculiar decision to not work out a contract extension before the October 10th deadline with center Deandre Ayton. Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and was seeking a max contract.
The biggest contract he could have signed would have been a five-year deal worth $172.5 million with the possibility of it being pushed up to $207 million. That max deal is what Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr. all received.
Ayton was dead set on receiving that kind of extension, but the Suns had other plans. Ownership did not see Ayton as a max player, so they were unwilling to sign him to a max deal. That will likely make him a restricted free agent this upcoming summer, which clouds his future with the team.
It would be shocking if the Phoenix Suns didn’t pony up the max deal to retain Ayton. He was an integral part of their trip to the NBA Finals, on both ends of the court.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Suns’ Deandre Ayton Shares His Lofty Personal Goals
He was efficient offensively, making at least 50 percent of his shot attempts in 17 consecutive games. That streak trailed only Shaquille O’Neal from 2006 for the longest postseason streak in NBA history.
Ayton anchored the team’s defense and he did an excellent job. When matched up against NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ayton held him to 53 percent shooting.
Against any other defender, Antetokounmpo feasted making nearly 70 percent of his shots.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Suns’ Deandre Ayton Shares His Lofty Personal Goals
It was understandable that Ayton was disappointed that no deal was made, but he isn’t worried about that. The Arizona product is not focused on his contract status, instead, he is focused on doing whatever he can to help his team win games.
“It didn’t work out and I got it out of my mind right away,” Ayton said. “What I can do to make it rub in everyone’s faces is to bust my ass, work hard and win games. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning. If you want to get something and earn something in this league, you have to be a winner. Do something that leads to winning. Me putting my head down and working is just closing out all of that noise. I’m not really worried about all of that.
“You had the time to do the negotiations. You had a deadline and it didn’t work out. Boom, Bada, Bing. You still got to work. You still got to play in between the lines. Still got to make sure this dude don’t dunk on me, score on me or do something to win the game. Still got to do that. And that’s just my competitive spirit.”
Ayton will get paid one way or the other. If the Phoenix Suns still don’t view him as a max player once free agency rolls around, there will be other teams around the league willing to pay that price.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Suns’ Deandre Ayton Shares His Lofty Personal Goals
He is putting together another strong season, and at 23-years old, the sky’s the limit for Ayton as a two-way center. Phoenix will regret it forever if they do not lock him up to a long-term extension and allow him to find a new team to play with.
