The Phoenix Suns retained Deandre Ayton when they matched his four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers. With the Suns not offering Ayton an extension before the season and any sort of deal in his restricted free agency, they signaled that they don’t value him in a way we typically see for players of his caliber.
Many expected Ayton to depart the Suns this offseason in a sign-and-trade, but the Kevin Durant trade talks presumably made that scenario more difficult. Now, the Suns and Ayton will have to rehabilitate their working relationship.
“The weirdness of the Ayton situation, both the contract negotiations, the widespread perception, I’m talking widespread around the league that the bridge was pretty much burned between Ayton and the team,” said Zach Lowe on his podcast.
“The comments that Monty Williams made after Game 7 when he pulled Ayton. There’s clearly some mending of fences that has to happen there. Can it happen? Is this just a ‘we’re waiting it out until we can trade him’ situation. That’s another interesting human dynamic.”