What Is Going On With Ayton?

Deandre Ayton

Welcome to NBA free agency where nothing makes sense and chaos rules. Deandre Ayton and the Suns have decided that they want to make things complicated, and many people are confused trying to understand the deal that is in the process of being signed. So I’m here to explain it to you.

Ayton’s contract has ended with the Phoenix Suns, and he is now a restricted free agent, which means he is allowed to take offers from other teams, but the Suns have the opportunity to match those deals and bring him back... and that is precisely what just happened. The Indiana Pacers offered Ayton the largest offer sheet in NBA history, worth $133 million over four years. The Suns decided to match this offer from Indiana, meaning they will be bringing Ayton back to Phoenix next season. Ayton, obviously not happy in Phoenix, will expectedly want to be traded from the organization as soon as possible.

For Ayton, there is some good news and some bad news surrounding a possible trade. The good news is that Ayton can veto any trade he dislikes for one full year. This means that if hypothetically the Suns said to Ayton, “Hey, we’re going to trade you to Sacramento,” Ayton has the option to say, “No, find a new trade option for me.” The bad news is that he cannot be traded until January 15, 2023, and the likelihood the Suns cut him before that is astronomically low.

Personally, I think the Suns are making the right move by re-signing him and matching this deal because it doesn’t look like they will be able to get Kevin Durant from Brooklyn, and if they just let Ayton leave, they will have ended up getting nothing back in this exchange. It is a tricky situation to maneuver, but I believe the Suns are on the right track.