Phoenix Suns and Deandre Ayton’s talks on a rookie scale have stalled, because the franchise seems reluctant to offer a max extension to the promising center, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Ayton was a huge part of the Phoenix Suns’ Finals run during the 2020-21 season. He reportedly has “no intention” of signing a contract below the maximum money.
Ayton, 23, can be offered a max deal worth $172.5 million, before the Oct. 18 deadline. If both sides add up potential bonuses to the contract, the deal could be worth more than $200 million.
The promising big averaged 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game last season. He can become a free agent next summer, if he does not sign a deal with Phoenix until Oct.18.
Ayton will be the fifth player from the 2018 Draft class to sign a maximum contract extension if he ended up coming to an agreement with the Suns. The other four are Trae Young, Luca Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Michael Porter Jr.
