The Suns have matched an offer of a four-year, $133 million contract from the Indiana Pacers to win Deandre Ayton, ESPN reported. The pivot will therefore remain in Phoenix.
The Arizona franchise went above and beyond to retain the services of the 2018 NBA Draft No. 1 pick. She had until Saturday to match Indiana’s offer presented Thursday, and she immediately made a counteroffer, according to Deandre Ayton’s agents, as quoted by ESPN.
A masterstroke, because the Pacers’ offer was the largest in NBA history. It even exceeded the four-year, $107 million offer Otto Porter Jr. signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2016.
And it’s easy to see why: Deandre Ayton (23) has averaged 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in the regular season since his NBA debut while helping anchor the Phoenix defense on his way to the 2021 NBA Finals. He shot 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last regular season.
But this situation risks complicating any possibility of exchanging Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant for a Phoenix player. No pre-season deal will be able to include the pivot, who cannot be traded until January 15.
/ATS
