Because of the regrettable loss in the finals last season, the Suns did not choose to renew the contract of Yuanlang Ayton in advance in the offseason this year, but instead renewed the two role players Shamet and Bridges first, but the management also knew the problem of the team's weak internal line, and signed the 33-year veteran McGee with a 1-year, 5 million middle-class contract. The veteran of the championship has just followed the U.S. men's basketball team to the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, and after officially wearing the Sun gown this season, McGee also played a career rejuvenation under the feeding of Chris Paul, the backcourt commander.
In a game between the Suns and the Wizards that ended earlier, the Suns had a total of 8 players scoring in double figures, and finally won 118-98 against the Wizards, giving the opponent 4 consecutive losses at the same time, but also allowing himself to usher in a wave of two consecutive wins, and the highest score in this game is not Ayton, nor Paul, it is McGee who just joined the team this summer, he came off the bench for 15 minutes, 8 shots 6, easily cut 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, plus or minus as high as +16, to the second highest in the team, Second only to Bridges' +19.
It is estimated that no one can think that McGee, who is already in the twilight of his career, has successfully played the most efficient performance of his career after joining the Suns, as of now, McGee can score 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in only 16 minutes of playing time, shooting 64.2% of the fifth in the league, and the net efficiency of 10.1 can also rank 24th in the league, which is the highest one in the Suns. Not long ago, he once played the best 21 points and 15 rebounds of the season, and the overall performance can be said to be more than that of Ayton.
And Ayton, on the other hand, This season in the case of playing time as high as 31.6 minutes, averaging 16.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, the overall performance and rookie season is actually almost the same, but the improvement of the defensive end in recent years, coupled with the arrival of Paul, the offensive efficiency is more outstanding, but also did not live up to his name, but in terms of net efficiency, he only has 2.7 of the league's 107th, the occasional distraction on the defensive end, plus the butter hand under the basket, the influence on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends may really not be as good as McGee.
If this momentum continues, McGee is likely to make the Suns management firmly not to give Ayton the idea of a maximum salary, knowing that if you really want to renew the contract early, Ayton's next contract is likely to come to 5 years and 170 million, and there is a veteran McGee who is not inferior in offensive and defensive efficiency, why should the Suns spend a lot of money to keep an interior line that may not be All-Star level first? At present, the Suns are temporarily tied with the Warriors with a record of 23 wins and 5 losses, tied for the first place in the West, and it is likely that they will continue to attack the Finals this season, and if Ayton can seize the opportunity to help the team successfully win the championship this year, the Suns are likely to choose to compromise, preferring to pay a high luxury tax to keep him.
But if it is unfortunate that the Suns once again missed the championship, and even did not even enter the finals in the end, then retaining the more affordable McGee and giving up Ayton, who wants a super top salary, the Sun management is not unable to do such a thing. By then, Ayton may really have a grudge against McKill's "spring performance" of the season.