Deandre Ayton, one of the highest-profile free agents of the 2022 NBA off-season, signed a four-year contract worth up to $133 million dollars on Thursday, July 14th. In my opinion, the Suns over-paid on this one. When the Suns were informed that the Indiana Pacers offered this same amount to Ayton and Phoenix had only a little bit of time to match it, they caved in and gave Deandre an offer. Personally, I don't think that the Suns wanted to do this. The NBA off-season has been going on for some time now and if the organization really was committed to making sure that Ayton remains a Sun, he would've received an offer weeks ago. The Suns clearly wanted to keep him around, just not for that steep of a price.
In Ayton's four-year career, he has averaged 16.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 1 BPG. He is one of the best defensive presences in the league and combined with his low-post game and mid-range shooting, defenders have a very tough time deciding what to do when guarding him. If they give him any space, he'll knock down a jumper in their faces, but if they guard him closely, he can drive right by them and finish around the rim. Even at the young age of 23, he has already proven to be a lethal two-way threat and is only improving.
By signing Ayton to this lengthy contract, the Suns are solidifying their place as one of the NBA's toughest teams. They are extremely young and show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The nasty pick-and-roll game of Ayton and Booker will still be taking place for at least another few years.
Comments