The NBA preseason has begun, and teams are in a state of streak, which means fans are looking forward to a new season and players are looking forward to writing a new story. For last season's champion Bucks, they hope to continue to defend their honor under the leadership of the big three led by Alphabet Brother; for strong teams such as the Lakers and Nets, how to become the ultimate winner is a problem they have to think about throughout the season; for teams such as the Thunder Rockets, cultivating new talents is the only way to rebuild.
Among so many teams, there is another team that must be mentioned, and that is last season's Western Conference champions Suns. After getting Chris Paul last season, Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton made great progress, and under the leadership of these three people, the Suns successfully reached the Finals as a dark horse, although they lost the championship to the Bucks, but it is undeniable that the Suns have completed a fairly successful season. The Suns management did not make major repairs to the team lineup during the offseason, they retained the core lineup of the Big Three, and the overall strength did not change much. However, in the general situation of the league, which does not advance or retreat, fans have expressed great concern about the new season of the Suns, and they believe that the current strength of the Suns may not be as good as teams such as the Lakers Nuggets, and it is very difficult to reach the Finals.
Just recently, according to a well-known ESPN reporter, the Suns are reluctant to provide Ayton with a maximum salary extension, and the negotiations between the two sides are currently at an impasse. According to the report, Ayton is reluctant to accept earlier contract extensions than Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr. While Ayton could also sign a five-year, $172.5 million maximum salary renewal contract, up to $207 million after including the incentive mechanism, Ayton didn't show much interest. Suddenly, the sun was at the center of the whirlpool of public opinion.
On the idea of the new season and the issue of Ayton's contract, league analyst Dwain Price has written a detailed article in his personal column. In this article, Dwain Price mentioned that if the Suns are not able to strengthen in time, then last season is likely to be their peak, and Paul may also face the embarrassing situation of not having a crown for life. Now on the issue of Ayton's contract extension, the Suns management can not blindly accommodate, if Ayton as a chip in exchange for a higher level of immediate combat power may be a good choice for the Suns. To that end, Dwain Price proposed a viable deal to The Suns management, which would include the Suns sending Ayton, Dario Sharich and the 2023 first-round picks in exchange for Timberwolves star Carl Anthony Downs. I have to say that this is a win-win trading solution.
What do you think about that?
Set off for a basketball wonderland!