The Deandre Ayton contract saga: Can the Phoenix Suns find a resolution with negotiations at an impasse?
The Phoenix Suns were two wins away from becoming a team of destiny last year. After acquiring eleven-time all-star Chris Paul in the prior offseason, the Suns went on to gel quickly, turning them into one of the top title contenders in the Western Conference. While the rise in the play of Chris Paul and Devin Booker was a major reason why the Suns had rapid success, another rising star for the Suns made a massive impact. Big man Deandre Ayton took another leap forward with his game and became one of the most impressive young bigs in the entire NBA.
With Ayton now entering his fourth year in the NBA, it was expected that the Phoenix Suns and the big man would start extension talks to keep Ayton in the Arizona desert for the foreseeable future. That was the plan until this morning when Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Suns and Ayton have stalled during discussions about a new deal.
ESPN Sources: The Phoenix Suns’ reluctance to offer a maximum rookie contract extension to former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton has stalled discussions on a deal: es.pn/3a6JFEj
Heading into the 2020-21 season, there were a lot of questions about Deandre Ayton. There was no denying his talent, but many were wondering if Ayton could take the next step forward in regards to his development. If he could, it would allow this Suns team to become a dangerous team in the Western Conference. Fast forward to the end of the Playoffs and Ayton took huge strides with his game. He went on to average 15.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game throughout the playoffs. With Ayton's strides in his game over the last year, it became clear that Phoenix had found their big man of the future. Or at least it looked that way...
This was a situation that was quickly going to rise to the surface in Phoenix. When the Suns went out and acquired Chris Paul after re-signing franchise star Devin Booker to a max extension, you had to realize that some potential cap concerns were going to come into the picture. After drafting a pair of developing young talents in the league in Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, the clock was ticking before the Suns were going to need to look towards giving the pair a hefty extension as well.
The first important matter of business should be locking up Ayton, who is still developing into one of the best young bigs in the entire NBA. But there's a dark history with management when it comes to trying to save pennies on the dollar. Back in 2005, the Phoenix Suns had a promising young roster featuring the likes of Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudamire, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson. The team would go on to post a 62-20 record the year before and looked to be in a position to contend for a title for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, the Suns were reluctant to pay Joe Johnson an extension, and instead traded him to the Atlanta Hawks. Phoenix would go on to have a number of successful following years, but it was a move that would have future implications.
Why the Hesitation to Pay Deandre Ayton?
Now it seems as if the Suns are circling in familiar waters. The "reluctance" to pay 23-year-old big man Deandre Ayton the max can be pointed to another player who is deserving of a hefty raise. Versatile wing Mikal Bridges has become one of the most important pieces of this Phoenix Suns roster, and he's also up for an extension. Management has been hesitant to pay the luxury tax over the years, and it looks as if the Suns are trying to play hardball here. Bridges is another player who is starting to take serious strides forward with his game, as he just saw his best year across the board in terms of production.
Although many would think that the Suns would be wise to lock up both and deal with the luxury tax, it looks as if the front office is hoping for one of the players to take a "home discount" in so many words. If Phoenix doesn't tread carefully, they risk the potential of losing out on one of their players. For a team that is led by Booker and 36-year-old floor general Chris Paul, you could argue that the Phoenix Suns' immediate title window isn't going to get any better. It would be smart of Phoenix to make sure that they keep the players on their roster happy and invest in the future of this team. If history has proven anything before, this is a situation the Suns do not want to repeat.