When the Phoenix Suns drafted Deandre Ayton with the first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Ayton had gone to high school as well as college in Arizona and was set to form what seemed like a formidable duo for the years to come with star guard Devin Booker.
After some rough years at the start, their fortunes drastically changed when the team traded for Chris Paul in 2020. Paul, Ayton, and Booker would lead the Suns to the Finals, where they would ultimately fall short to the Bucks, but Ayton’s play was impressive.
The team would fail to agree on an extension with him after it, however, and after the Suns crashed and burned in these past playoffs despite winning a record 64 games in the regular season, it seems like Ayton’s time in the desert is about to come to an end. He hasn’t yet been offered the max deal he wants in free agency, but by the looks of it, it will come soon. John Gambadoro reported that Ayton’s camp believes an offer could come from either the Pacers or the Spurs.
The Pacers are apparently waiting for the Brogdon deal to finalize so that it clears up the cap space they need to sign him and the Spurs do have the most cap space this offseason so it makes sense that they could offer him a deal. All that cap space is why San Antonio is also seen as a potential third team for a Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade.
It always seemed likely when they failed to agree to a deal last year that 2021-22 might well be Ayton’s last season in Phoenix and we are inching closer to it being a reality. It is a sad end to what promised to be an incredible career with the Suns.
