The Phoenix Suns front office shocked the NBA when they refused to offer the number one overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft class Deandre Ayton a max contract extension. Given how much Ayton has improved, especially last season, this decision is truly befuddling.
Last season, Ayton took a big leap and was a great player for the Suns. During the playoffs, Ayton was a great performer, helping Phoenix overcome the Lakers, Nuggets, and Clippers, beating some of the best bigs in the league including Anthony Davis and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
In the Finals, Ayton and the Suns got two games over the Milwaukee Bucks but weren’t able to win the championships. But regardless of the failure, there were signs of brilliance when it came to Ayton.
So much so, that during the playoffs, Chris Paul in an interview praised Ayton and said that he would help him ‘get a bag’ this offseason and secure an extension. But now that the Suns and Ayton couldn’t come to an agreement, Paul’s words haven’t aged well.
https://twitter.com/theballhoopz/status/1450185303268855809
In fact, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins called out Chris Paul for failing to live up to his word. He suggested on Twitter that Paul was more focused on securing a big payday for himself.
I thought CP3 was supposed to get Ayton his bag?! I guess CP3 meant to get himself that bag. Don’t mind me and carry on… pic.twitter.com/3dC3AKSQGQ
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) October 18, 2021
I thought CP3 was supposed to get Ayton his bag?! I guess CP3 meant to get himself that bag. Don’t mind me and carry on…
Ayton’s play hasn’t always been polished. And the fact that he was the number one overall pick in a draft class that included players like Luka Doncic and Trae Young didn’t help his case. But Ayton has shown steady improvement with each passing year in the league.
Ayton made it clear that he would accept nothing short of a max extension. And the Suns refuse to give him that. This refusal has made Ayton very upset, who is questioning his future going forward. At this point in time, Ayton will become a free agent next year, free to sign with any other team.
