It was widely assumed that the Phoenix Suns would do whatever it took to keep their core together. They came within two wins of winning the NBA Championship this past season, so bringing the group back to make another run made sense.
The Suns re-signed Chris Paul, Cameron Payne, and Frank Kaminsky in free agency to keep their continuity. JaVale McGee and Elfrid Payton were signed to add depth to the roster.
Phoenix was once again in the position to contend in the Western Conference, but the long-term outlook has had a wrench thrown into it. After agreeing to a contract extension with Mikal Bridges, people felt good.
Bridges agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension which looked at as being great value. Any positivity that the move created quickly disappeared as the Suns failed to come to an agreement with Deandre Ayton.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Suns’ Deandre Ayton ‘Disappointed’ With Stalling Contract Talks
Contract talks between Deandre Ayton and the team have ended according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and was seeking a max contract extension from the Suns. Robert Sarver didn’t believe he was worth the max, so a deal wasn’t reached.
This will assuredly have a long-term impact on the franchise. There is a lot of fallout coming from this, as Ayton will now be a restricted free agent. Not locking him up long-term clouds the team’s future at the center position.
If they were unwilling to negotiate a max extension now, it is hard to imagine ownership being willing to match a max offer sheet he will likely receive from a team as a restricted free agent next summer.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Suns’ Deandre Ayton ‘Disappointed’ With Stalling Contract Talks
After hammering out such a good deal with Bridges, it is a major disappointment for Phoenix Suns fans that a deal wasn’t reached with Deandre Ayton as well. After seeing fellow 2018 draft mates such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Michael Porter Jr. cash in on max extensions, it was going to be difficult to convince Ayton he wasn’t worth one as well.
