Deandre Ayton was one of the highlighted players of this offseason, as his incumbent team, the Phoenix Suns, chose to not offer him a contract extension. As Ayton had just finished his rookie contract, the Suns had full matching rights to any rival contract that Ayton signed. This would allow the Suns to sign a deal with Ayton equivalent to what he was receiving on the open market.
This is exactly what happened, as Ayton signed an offer sheet to make a dynamic duo with Tyrese Haliburton with the Indiana Pacers. The Suns would match the contract as soon as they could, keeping Ayton on their team for next season. The Bahamian center addressed his contract situation during media day and didn’t look thrilled to be the owner of a $132 million contract.
"I was happy… It was all done, I guess."
Deandre Ayton reacts to the Suns matching the Pacers offer 😅
🎥: @TavioThrowerNBA pic.twitter.com/fHya9rM8u0
— FanSided (@FanSided) September 26, 2022
“I was happy. It was all done, I guess.”
Ayton’s incredible brief statement is a telling sign of where his relationship with the team is right now. With the revelation that Ayton and Monty Williams haven’t spoken to each other since the Suns’ Game 7 loss against the Dallas Mavericks, shows that the relationship between coach and player might’ve broken down last season and is yet to be rebuilt.
Have The Suns Alienated Deandre Ayton?
Ayton is a former #1 overall pick on a max contract salary because of his incredibly high ceiling, but he is still not a featured member of Phoenix’s offense. As the Suns transitioned into being a contending team in his 3rd season, Ayton has had to take a backseat to the backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
By not offering him a contract and not repairing his relationship with coach Monty Williams, the Suns have put themselves in a tricky situation. With the dark cloud of Robert Sarver still hanging over the franchise, Ayton’s happiness might be another thing Phoenix will have to keep in mind this season.
It’ll be a while before Ayton can walk out of Suns as a free agent, so he’ll need to get comfortable in the situation he’s in.
