Deandre Ayton is one of the best centers in the league, who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. Over the course of the playoffs, Deandre Ayton averaged 17.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.7 APG.
Despite his talent, there has been some speculation about Deandre Ayton's future with the Phoenix Suns. Adrian Wojnarowski previously revealed that Ayton "did not feel valued" by the Phoenix Suns.
"Deandre Ayton did not feel valued by this Phoenix organization. They were not able to come to an agreement on his rookie extension and he saw many of the top players getting extensions and he wanted a max deal, he would not move off that. So now, he moves towards restricted free agency this summer where he'll have some more options. But, ultimately, Phoenix will still match an offer out there and keep him if he signs an offer sheet with another team. [He] is going to get a max contract in the marketplace, somewhere... There are a lot of teams lining up to figure out: how can we acquire him?"
Suns GM James Jones has recently addressed the questions about Deandre Ayton's future, claiming that he had "an amazing season", and added that the team will "address it at the proper time". Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report relayed the news.
Deandre Ayton's season may have ended with some clear tension with coach Monty Williams, but Suns general manager James Jones expects the center back next season.
"Deandre had an amazing season, and he's progressed every year and improved every year," Jones told 98.7 FM's Burns & Gambo. "He's been here, and so he's a big part of what we do. His future with us is something we will address at the proper time, which is in the future. He's a free agent and I've said all along, he's about the same things we're about, which is winning. We'll address it at the proper time.
Hopefully, the Phoenix Suns and Deandre Ayton are able to work something out in terms of a new deal. Ayton was a key part of the team's Finals run during the 2020-21 playoffs.
If the two parties don't come to an agreement, however, it is quite likely that Deandre Ayton will have a lot of franchises interested in him. The Suns will hope that it won't come to that though, and we'll see how they address this situation in the future.
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