Deandre Ayton’s tenure with the Suns is on the verge of coming to an abrupt end.
Ayton, a restricted free agent, agreed to a four-year, $133 million maximum contract offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday afternoon.
Now, the Suns are on the clock: Phoenix has just 48 hours to match Ayton’s offer sheet, the largest offer sheet in NBA history, or else cede Ayton to the Pacers for nothing in return.
The Suns are expected to match the offer, according to Wojnarowski. If they do, they could not trade him until Jan. 15.
On Monday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that two sides were nearing a sign-and-trade for Ayton. But Ayton’s offer sheet is binding, meaning that a sign-and-trade can no longer be completed.
The Suns selected the 23-year-old Ayton with the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Arizona product has since blossomed into a foundational piece for a resurgent franchise, averaging 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season while starting 58 games at center.
But a rupture surfaced between the two sides in this year’s playoffs. Ayton did not play during the second half of the Suns’ Game 7 blowout loss to the Mavericks, benched by coach Monty Williams. Ayton and Williams appeared to engage in a verbal spat on the sideline, needing to be separated.
In October, the Suns had an opportunity to lock up Ayton for the long-term. But the two sides could not reach an agreement on the full max contract, which Ayton desired.
Now, nine months later, Ayton may be on his way out of Phoenix.