The Phoenix Suns reached the historic Finals last season, but the team's contract renewal negotiations with team center DeAndre Ayton have reached an impasse in this rising period.
According to prominent NBA journalist Adri Anvonaroski, the Suns are reluctant to offer a maximum salary extension to the 2018-year-old center. According to multiple sources, the Suns are hesitant to offer Ayton a maximum salary extension, and Ayton has no intention of signing a lower salary contract than the 2018 rookie, including Eagles guard Trae Young, Lone Ranger forward Luka Doncic and Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
Ayton is a key member of the Suns' 2021 NBA Finals, and the 23-year-old is eligible for a five-year contract extension worth $172.5 million, up to $207 million after including a reward mechanism.
Ayton was drafted by the Suns with the first pick in 2018 and his 4-year rookie contract expires next summer, with the 2021-22 season being the final year of the contract. Originally, many of the league's executives thought the Suns would reach a contract extension with Ayton during the offseason. But now, with the deadline for the rookie's early contract extension approaching, the Suns are starting to hesitate on the matter.
On October 18, the deadline for early contract renewal, sources revealed that the Suns boss currently believes that Ayton is not a player at that price point, and believes that his performance, potential and market value reflect this. If Ayton isn't traded, Ayton could become a restricted free agent next summer, with the 2021-22 season as the final year of his contract. The Suns can still match offers tomorrow summer, but there is a possibility that there will be some degree of conflict between the Suns and Ayton since then, which could affect the team's long-term relationship with him.
Ayton grew rapidly under coaching Coach Monti Williams and became the inner pillar of the team's offensive and defensive ends. Just as the team had expected him to be three years ago when they selected him.
In the 2020-21 regular season, third-year Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game; in the playoffs, he averaged 15.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks. According to statistics, Ayton has shot more than 50% in 17 consecutive playoff games, second only to Shaquille O'Neal (2006), becoming one of the players in the league's history to maintain such a high shooting rate in the playoffs.
Ayton's defensive performance in the Finals was good, as the main player of the defensive Finals MVP "Alphabet Brother" Giannis Antetokounmpo, he shot 53% of alphabet brothers when defending, and against other defenders of the Suns, alphabet brothers shot up to 70%.
Many teams aiming to compete for championships have two or even three top-salary players. This summer, the Nuggets renewed Porter Jr.'s contract with a maximum salary after Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and the Suns now only have Devon Booker and Chris Paul on a top-salary contract, which doesn't seem appropriate without considering giving Ayton a maximum salary.
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