For at least a few hours, it appeared that Deandre Ayton would no longer be a member of the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Last week, the Indiana Pacers and Ayton agreed to the largest offer sheet in the history of the NBA, a four-year, $133 million maximum contract. The Suns had 48 hours to match the offer or lose Ayton without compensation.
Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns looks on before the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 7 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals on May 15, 2022, at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Suns did match it, and quickly, keeping Ayton in Phoenix.
"This is a blessing," Ayton told ESPN after signing the contract. "This contract not only has generational impact for my family, but also with the way we are able to work in the Phoenix community and home in the Bahamas. That is the things that we go by …
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"I've come to understand that this is a business. So, I was more anxious to know the end of the result so I could focus, move on and just get back to work. I just treated everything like a business. Just keep being professional, approach everything with professionalism and not looking too deep into it."
Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns shoots a free throw against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 7 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals on May 15, 2022, at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
By staying in Phoenix, Ayton cannot be traded until after Jan. 15 of next year and the Suns will need to wait a full year to trade him at all without Ayton’s approval.
According to Suns general manager James Jones, the team never had any intention of parting with their star center.
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"We wanted Deandre here," Jones told ESPN. "He's vital to what we do, at the core of everything that we do. And throughout this whole process it was, it rang true. We wanted to keep him here, and the moment we can come to an agreement, we would. So, waiting 24 hours, 48 hours, that wasn't something we needed to do because going into it, we knew this is where he wanted to be and where we wanted him to be."
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Phoenix is coming off a disastrous end to the 2021-22 season, having been blown out by the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. After going 64-18 during the regular season, the Suns were one of the biggest playoff disappointments the NBA has seen in years, but Ayton — armed with a new deal — is ready to run it back.
Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns shoots the ball during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022, in Phoenix. ( Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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"The shift in free agency brought a lot of uncertainty through the whole process," Ayton said. "I got to give a lot of respect to the Pacers organization. They were aggressive from the start and showing a lot of love. And we agreed to a max offer sheet. The Suns matched. Now, I'm back in Phoenix as a Sun.
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"I'm happy. The process is over. I put all this behind me and focus on chasing a championship this upcoming season with my brothers."
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