One of the more important free agent dominoes fell on Thursday when the Suns retained Deandre Ayton, matching the four-year, $133 million offer the center signed with the Pacers.
Ayton, who turns 24 on July 23, was a restricted free agent after failing to sign an extension with Phoenix last summer. He averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Suns last season, helping the team to an NBA-best regular season finish. Signing Ayton should have some significant ripple effects around the league, as he has often been mentioned as a possible trade chip in a Kevin Durant deal while the Pacers are still looking for an upgrade at center.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what Ayton’s signing means for the Suns, Nets and Pacers.
Phoenix is bringing it back… for now
Even after an embarrassing Game 7 loss against the Mavericks, the Suns return most of their 64-game winning lineup in 2021-22. Phoenix’s starting five should be the same for a third straight season with Ayton at the helm, and key contributors like Cameron Payne and Cam Johnson also stayed. On the face of it, maintaining the core of the franchise’s best team is a no-brainer. As ugly as Phoenix’s loss in Game 7 was, there is enough evidence to believe this group can compete for a title in the loaded West. On the court, Ayton fits perfectly with Chris Paul and Devin Booker. He is versatile on both ends of the court and is improving as both a versatile offensive scorer and team defender. And he should continue to grow as a player as he enters his prime, especially when he plays in higher-stakes postseason games.
Financial commitment is also a good sign. With Ayton back, as currently constructed, the Suns will pay the luxury tax for the first time since 2009, the sign owner willing to foot the bill needed to win a title.
Off the court, Phoenix’s long song and dance with Ayton was awkward at best. By not extending him last season, the Suns essentially avoided giving Ayton a five-year deal worth even more per year, forcing him to find an outside offer. Was any impact on team chemistry worth it? Ayton barely played in the second half of the Game 7 loss to Dallas, with Monty Williams sternly calling it an “internal” issue after the game. While Phoenix was pretty quick to respond to Ayton’s offer, it hasn’t exactly made him feel wanted over the past year. It’s an odd tactic to use with a former No. 1 pick who has become a key cog in a title contender, especially when there’s room to grow. Relations in Phoenix seemed strained by the end of the season. Aligning everyone’s motivation ahead of the title chase will be as much about this team’s success as what happens between two baskets.
Bottom Line: The Suns will have a really high floor as long as Ayton, Booker and Paul play together. But don’t be shocked if Ayton’s name comes up in trade rumors at some point in the life of this contract.
Kevin Durant’s options are dwindling
It just got a lot harder for Durant to join the Suns.
Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of trades, a Kevin Durant deal with Phoenix is much less likely after the Ayton signing. Even if the Nets were reportedly cool on Ayton as a player — whether for real or for a draft pick — a sign-and-trade involving him made a lot of sense in Durant’s hypotheticals. Because the Suns matched Ayton’s offer sheet, he can’t be traded until Jan. 15 at the earliest and can veto any trade in the first year of his deal. That means he can’t be dealt this summer, and if he’s shipped to a third team in your favorite fake Durant deal, Ayton can undo that with the snap of a finger. (I like to believe the deals are officially vetoed Dikembe Mutombo style.)
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It’s not impossible for the Suns to trade for Durant now, but it becomes much more difficult without being able to include Ayton. If the signing takes Phoenix out of the running for Durant, KD now has one less team on his list of potential destinations. Maybe that helps a team like the Heat. Or maybe it emboldens a small-market team like the Grizzlies. Or maybe he convinces the Nets to bring back Durant, which maybe has implications for Kyrie Irving, which maybe has an impact on what the Lakers do this summer. I was serious it was a big domino!
With an important team taking a step back in the Durant sweepstakes, the Nets may have a little more leverage in trying to bring Durant back for another season or to generate stronger offers from teams not on KD’s wish list. The Durant situation is likely to continue to drag on for the foreseeable future, but his chances of landing with the Suns appear to be severely affected.
Uh, so Miles Turner?
The Pacers don’t seem to see Turner as their long-term solution at center.
Pool Photo/USA TODAY Sports
The Pacers pulled Ayton for a fireside chat despite already being linked to a center in Myles Turner, and now the team must once again figure out what to do with its frontcourt.
Turner has been mentioned in trade rumors for years and yet he can’t be moved. Last season, Indiana appeared to make a half-hearted commitment to Turner by trading Domantas Sabonis. Turner seemed excited about the prospect of a bigger role with the team, so he’s probably not thrilled that the front office tried to trade him.
Turner is entering the final year of a deal that pays him $17.5 million, and I would be surprised if he ends this season with Indy. The Pacers ended up moving Malcolm Brogdon for a pittance, and I could see them eventually doing the same for Turner to at least get something in return. It’s clear that Indy doesn’t see Turner as its long-term solution at center, and now he could enter training camp as a backup option at the position. The team will likely offer some kind of support for Turner publicly at some point after Ayton’s release. Still, it’s hard to imagine that Turner is somehow even more available than he was before this summer.
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