Contract extension talks between the Phoenix Suns and center Deandre Ayton have ended without a deal, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Per that report, "Ayton expected [a] max contract and owner Robert Sarver hasn't offered it."

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported Ayton eyed a five-year deal, while the Suns were not willing to go beyond four years:

Ayton, 23, was eligible to sign a five-year, $172 million max deal. Without that agreement in place, however, he'll become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2022. He'll be able to sign offer sheets with other teams, though the Suns can match any agreement to keep him.

They can also offer him more money than other teams.

Ayton was looking to join players like Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Michael Porter Jr. in signing a max deal. A number of top players from the 2018 NBA draft have already agreed to extensions, including Ayton's teammate Mikal Bridges:

If you break down players from the 2018 class into tiers, Doncic falls into the transcendent superstar group of players, while Young is undoubtedly a star and players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Porter and Jackson have flashed serious star potential.

There's little doubt that Ayton fits the mold of the ideal modern center, given his athleticism, even if he has room to grow. For his career he's averaged 16 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Last season, the Suns were 6.3 points better than their opponents per 100 possessions when he was on the court, though they had an identical net rating when he sat, per NBA.com.

They were better offensively with him on the court (117.1 on-court offensive rating, 112 off-court) but worse defensively (110.8 on-court defensive rating, 105.7 off-court).

Perhaps in a different situation Ayton would have a more obvious and gaudy impact, one that would have bolstered his case for a max deal. The Suns are built around the backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul, with Ayton asked to be a solid role man and rim-protector.

But it's also fair to question if Phoenix taking a hard-line stance on his value is worth potentially alienating a key player from their NBA Finals run. As Woj noted earlier in October, Sarver has a history of getting tight with the purse strings at key moments in team history:

"If Suns owner Robert Sarver doesn't come to an agreement with Ayton before the deadline, it will certainly raise questions again about his commitment to constructing a sustainable contender in the Western Conference.

"Sarver hasn't paid luxury tax as Suns owner since the 2009-10 season—a full decade before the franchise returned to the playoffs in 2020-21. There were long questions about Sarver's decision to trade future All-Star guard Joe Johnson in 2005 instead of extending his contract, a move that many believe cost the Suns a championship in the Steve Nash-Amare Stoudemire era."

It will be a moot point if Ayton returns to the team next summer on a long-term deal. But in the interim, Ayton's relationship with the organization has become a situation worth monitoring.