“How do you get to 35 or 36 million dollars in salary?” - Bobby Marks says Deandre Ayton accepting Pacers’ offer sheet complicates Suns’ move for Kevin Durant
NBA analyst Bobby Marks believes the Indiana Pacers' offer sheet to Deandre Ayton complicates the Phoenix Suns' potential move to acquire Kevin Durant. He feels the Suns may struggle to find the finances to make such a trade work.
Deandre Ayton is a restricted free agent, so Phoenix can match any offer he receives. According to reports, the Pacers offered him a four-year, $133 million max deal.
For Ayton to be a trade piece in acquiring Durant, the Suns needed him to not have a maximum rookie extension yet. Ayton's rookie max extension means that trading him away is impossible for six months, taking him off the table.
On NBA Today, analyst Bobby Marks broke down the potential problems the Suns face.
"Well, it doesn't eliminate Phoenix, but it certainly complicates things here. Ayton was never going to Brooklyn in a Kevin Durant trade because of the hard-cap restrictions that Brooklyn has faced.
"However, if you remove Ayton from the mix now, how do you get to 35 or 36 million dollars in salary?"
Bobby Marks found a method to make the trade work, but it could do more harm than good for the Suns.
"It would basically cost Phoenix to gut their roster. As far as when you look at Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Landry Shamet in a trade, that gets you up to 35-36 million dollars.
"So they are not eliminated, but it certainly does complicate a lot of things here with Durant."
Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the world, but it will be difficult for Phoenix to win without depth.
"[The Suns] are not eliminated but it certainly does complicate a lot of things here with Durant."
—@BobbyMarks42 on the Suns matching Deandre Ayton's offer sheet with the Pacers https://t.co/4p9HU8AOAg
Deandre Ayton's situation could work for Phoenix
While having Deandre Ayton on a max contract presents some problems, the Suns are still in a strong position in the offseason.
The Suns still have the assets to make a Kevin Durant trade happen, even with Deandre Ayton’s new max salary potentially on the roster.
A package centered around Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, expiring salaries and all of their future draft picks is enough to make it work legally.
Frugality may not help the Suns' chances of winning a championship, but it does help keep the team together longer.
The Suns suffered a surprising loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs last season and will hope for much stronger run next season.