The deadline for NBA teams to sign players to rookie extensions passed on October 18th. Some teams had locked in deals with players from the 2018 NBA Draft class already, while some cut it close going right down to the wire.
One team that was busy at work up to the deadline was the Phoenix Suns. They had three players from that year’s draft class that was extension eligible; No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, No. 10 overall Mikal Bridges, and No. 26 overall Landry Shamet.
The team hammered out deals with Bridges and Shamet. Bridges signed a four-year, $90 million extension while Shamet signed a four-year, $43 million deal.
Everyone assumed that the Ayton deal would be the easiest one for Phoenix to negotiate. A max extension was expected, especially after his performance in the postseason. But, ownership had different plans.
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The max extension never came from the Suns. They don’t believe Ayton is a max player, so they didn’t offer him max money. It was a decision that shocked many executives league-wide, as a max extension for Ayton was thought to be a foregone conclusion.
There are a lot of teams that could now adjust their plans for the offseason, when it comes to maneuvering the salary cap, knowing Ayton could be had for the taking. If the Phoenix Suns don’t believe he is a player worth a max contract now, it is hard to imagine that stance changing by the time free agency rolls around next summer.
Phoenix has now complicated things when it comes to their future with Ayton. He is unhappy with how they view him, as the organization consistently didn’t see him as a max player. It has to be especially frustrating for Ayton after seeing some of the money other guys from his draft class were paid.
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Jaren Jackson Jr. landed a four-year deal worth $104 million. Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Michael Porter Jr. all signed max deals. After seeing deals like that be signed, Deandre Ayton and his representatives were never going to take less than the max.
Now, he will have to wait until restricted free agency next summer to cash in on a new deal. If he carries his play over from the postseason, teams will line up with max offers to give him.
