Deandre Ayton’s Agent Says Phoenix Suns Match Pacers’ Offer Sheet For 4 Years, $133 Million
By Mahesh Limbani
Deandre Ayton’s agents, Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian told ESPN on Thursday night that the Phoenix Suns matched the Indiana Pacers’ offer sheet for four years and $133 million.
As of Saturday night, the Suns had until 11:59 p.m. EST to match the most expensive offer sheet in NBA history. They matched it immediately and the Pacers lost the race for Ayton.
It was reported that Phoenix showed no interest in negotiating a sign-and-trade agreement with Indiana before Ayton signed the offer sheet, indicating they were likely to match the offer sheet. Without matching, the Suns would have lost Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
Deandre Ayton’s Agent Says Phoenix Suns Match Pacers’ Offer Sheet For 4 Years, $133 Million
Ayton’s contract will not allow the Suns to trade him until Jan. 15 – and he will not be able to be traded without his consent for the next year. Durant, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets, will be ruled out of any offseason trade scenario involving Ayton.
Ayton’s representatives Namakian and Duffy of BDA Sports and WME believed they could find the highest contract offer for him in the market and delivered it to the Suns. It seems the Suns did not value Ayton as a max player since they had never made him a max offer.
Dallas Mavericks’ offer sheet for Harrison Barnes in 2016 for four years and $94.4 million was the biggest not matched by any team. At the same time, Barnes’ former team, the Warriors, signed Kevin Durant as a free agent.
Sources told ESPN that Tyson was enthusiastic about partnering with Tyrese Haliburton and helping the Pacers rebuild.
A new era of Indiana basketball began with the trade of Malcolm Brogdon earlier this offseason and the trading of Domantas Sabonis last year.
To sign Ayton to the maximum offer sheet, the Pacers had to free up $4.7 million in cap space. As part of that move, Indiana waived Duane Washington and waived and stretched Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, and Nik Stauskas who arrived in the Boston trade for Brogdon.
It was Luka Doncic (third pick in the 2018 draft), Jaren Jackson Jr. (fourth pick), Trae Young (fifth pick), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th pick) who preceded him in the draft class that included Ayton.
With 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, Ayton has developed into a quality starting center for Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals — the franchise’s first finals appearance since Charles Barkley led the Suns in 1993.
It was a great season for Ayton this past season. He averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds, with a 63.4% field goal percentage and a 74.6% foul shooting percentage.
Ayton spent most of the second half of the Western Conference semifinals watching the team’s blowout loss to the Mavericks after the Phoenix finished with the league’s best record during the regular season.
Ayton, meanwhile, declined to speak with reporters after the game when asked why that occurred. Suns coach Monty Williams said it was an internal matter.