One of the most intriguing storylines this offseason in the NBA was what would happen with Deandre Ayton. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft was entering restricted free agency and seemed destined to play elsewhere.
Ayton and the Suns had engaged in some tense contract discussions and no ground was gained in the matter. Ayton was seeking a max contract and nothing less. Suns’ ownership didn’t believe he was worth that price and would not go that high, resulting in no deal being reached.
Earlier in the offseason, Ayton was involved in plenty of trade rumors as he was reportedly the centerpiece of negotiations with the Brooklyn Nets centered around Kevin Durant. With things moving slowly in that regard, Ayton made his own move in free agency.
Ayton and his representatives were convinced that he would find a big-money deal in free agency. They were proven correct when he signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers that was the largest in NBA history at four years and $133 million.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton & Phoenix Suns Updates
There was a window to complete a sign-and-trade deal, but instead, the Suns surprisingly matched the offer sheet. After months of saying Ayton was not worth that kind of money, Phoenix ponied up rather quickly.
To say that Ayton was unenthused about being back with the Suns would likely be an understatement. “I just let my agents handle it and I trusted my team,” the usually jovial Ayton said flatly. “I don’t want to take any steps back.”
It was not something that Ayton had much to say about. NBA Retweet shared a video of Ayton from Media Day and he said he was happy and it was all done.
Happy would not be the first word used to describe his reaction, as even the person who asked the question was waiting for something more from Ayton. But, it is tough to blame him for reacting in that way, as all signs pointed toward him getting a new start this offseason, but Phoenix had other plans.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton & Phoenix Suns Updates
Could a move get done in the future? Ayton is not eligible to be traded until January 15th, but many analysts believe that once that deadline passes, the Suns will engage in more trade talks centered around him.
More controversy was fueled on Tuesday when Ayton told reporters that he hasn’t spoken to Monty Williams “at all” since the team’s embarrassing Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals. When asked if he’s happy to be on the Suns, all he said was: “Yeah, I’m all right.”
