It has been nearly 11 full days since the NBA’s 2022 free agent period opened, and Suns restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton still doesn’t have a new deal in place. However, it’s possible that will change soon.
Sources told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic over the weekend that the Pacers are “seriously” interested in Ayton. Indiana’s interest in the former No. 1 overall pick has been reported repeatedly in recent weeks, but it’s notable that the team’s interest hasn’t waned — the Pacers are one of just two teams in the NBA (along with the Spurs) that have the cap flexibility necessary to make Ayton a significant offer.
According to Marc Stein (Twitter link), there’s “great interest” among league insiders in Las Vegas about whether the Pacers will move forward with what Stein refers to as a “widely anticipated” offer sheet for Ayton. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up (video link) on Monday, Brian Windhorst also expressed a belief that Indiana is on the verge of making a play for the young center.
“We believe that the Indiana Pacers are very close to giving Deandre Ayton an offer sheet or executing a sign-and-trade,” Windhorst said. “The Pacers had to do some business over the weekend and complete the Malcolm Brogdon trade. That is now on the verge of happening and that is opening enough cap space to almost give Deandre Ayton the max contract he is looking for. We could see something with the Pacers and Ayton as early as today.”
As James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star writes, while the Pacers and Celtics announced their trade on Saturday, Brogdon still technically has to pass his physical before the deal is officially irreversible. At that point, Indiana will have approximately $26.4MM in cap room.
Ayton’s maximum salary is about $30.9MM, so Indiana would have to waive-and-stretch multiple players or trade someone to open up a max-salary slot. The team could also present Ayton with an offer sheet that’s a little below the max, but it’s not clear whether he’d be willing to sign such an offer. And of course, the lower the starting salary in an offer sheet, the more likely the Suns are to match it.
A sign-and-trade deal in which Indiana sends out a player or two could potentially get everyone what they want — Ayton could get his max salary, the Pacers could get their man without having to worry about an offer sheet being matched, and the Suns could avoid losing their former top pick for nothing. Myles Turner would be the most obvious trade candidate in that scenario.
However, signing-and-trading Ayton to Indiana would deprive Phoenix of one of its top assets for a potential Kevin Durant trade, so the Suns will likely drive a hard bargain with the Pacers, knowing that if they don’t get a sign-and-trade offer they like, they could simply match any offer sheet Ayton signs.
Still, that may not be an ideal outcome for the Suns, who reportedly aren’t enthusiastic about paying Ayton max money. Additionally, if they were to match an offer sheet, the Suns wouldn’t be able to trade Ayton until January 15, and even then, any deal this season would require his consent.
With so many variables in play, every involved party will have to weigh its options carefully before moving forward. But it sounds like we could get action on the Ayton front sooner rather than later.
PHO’s cheap front office deserves the Pacers to sign him without a sign and trade…so they get nothing back!
sooo… what would this mean for myles turner. they spent years trying to trade him or sabonis to clear out the logjam of big men… only to try and sign another big man. and one with less perimeter skills at that.
I’d assume any DeAndre Ayton deal means Myles Turner would head back to Phoenix in the deal.
Turner is on a 1 year deal and is 3 years older.
If I am the Suns I’d trade Ayton, Saric, and Shamet to the Pacers for Turner and Hield. Ideally more would have to work itself out like picks and stuff but the money works on the surface level.
Phoenix adds a big man in Turner to replace Ayton who can help stretch the floor and bench scoring in Hield
Pacers add Ayton on a new contract as a long term building piece, expiring contract in Saric, Shamet who they can send elsewhere if they want.
Again not the entire deal but if Pacers are intent on getting Ayton.
Not necessarily, if the Pacers don’t think Phoenix will match a max offer sheet, they can get Ayton for nothing, but what they have to pay him and auction Turner to the highest bidder.
This. This is a nightmare scenario for the Suns, because Indy already has a good big man. They can sign Ayton to an offer hoping Phoenix doesn’t match, but even if they do match the Pacers are still covered. What I suspect will happen is a sign and trade, but with marginal players only going west. The main value for Phoenix will be the TPE, which is no skin off Indy’s nose. They then sell Turner for more value. Bet Utah wouldn’t mind making that trade.
Might be tough to get a good return for him, though, given the lack of leverage and the market for center needy teams having dried up. Someone will probably still give up a first for him, however.
If they do sign and trade doesn’t that mean Ayton gets the extra year? Say Indiana signs Ayton, and Indian does a trade with the Lakers, I think that would put them in a tax situation? Plus if they do sign n trade I think that hard caps them. So cross them off. Please correct me if I’m mistaken
Turner would probably go the other way in a sign-and-trade. If that doesn’t happen or the Pacers just sign Ayton outright, then they would probably try to flip Turner for a first round pick. Considering the seemingly light return they got for Brogdan, looks like the Pacers are going all-in on acquiring first rounders for their vets. I was hopeful they would hold onto Turner since the defense clearly missed him when he’s been out but they must not want to pay him (FA next year) or are just looking for a fresh start.
Brogdon return wasn’t light. He just wasn’t as valuable as people thought, due to his extreme injury risk.
Not sure what you mean by less perimeter skills, Unlike Sabonis Ayton is quick enough not to look lost when switched onto guards.
Offensively Ayton hasn’t shown in the NBA that he can shoot but he did shoot .343 in college as to where Sabonis has had an opportunity to show an outside game and has shot .319 from deep over his career.
Would think it would take much more then turner in return. Ayton will be a 23-12 guy with more touches
But he’s a restricted free agent he’s not actually contracted to the Suns.
Indy could throw Ayton the max money and Suns would have to decide to match or not and then they wouldn’t have to give up anything.
Turner would be a great return for the Suns who don’t even want Ayton
Opposite. He’s too much. Ayton is a free agent. These kinds of situations NEVER end up with significant value returning to the guy’s former team. As a result, usually they just match.
NEVER? Warriors turned KD into Wiggins and kumunga. Suns still hold the cards
Maybe it’s like a 5 team trade holding up Ayton. Brooklyn, Phoenix, Slowtime Fakers, Indiana and the Spurs maybe working out the details and would take a few weeks.
You mean, throw Westbrook into it somehow? (Uh, just joking)
If Phoenix somehow gets Myles Turner for DeAndre Ayton, James Jones should be doing backflips, and taking the entire indiana Pacers organization out to dinner on him, and he should also receive a massive contract extension from Phoenix, and be given the executive of the year award right then and there
Uh…why? Turner thinks he’s a SG, but can’t shoot.
Ayton is 3 times the player turner is
Myles Turner is one of the best defensive bigs in the league. He defends pick and roll, protects the rim. On offense, he is one of the best screen setters in the NBA, he can shoot the 3 at a very high level, he is a vertical spacer as well. He is the literal perfect fit for Phoenix as well. Him with Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and Torrey Craig, around Chris Paul, and even depth like Okpgie, Biyombo, and Wainright, would lead to an elite defense, and one of the best teams in the NBA, assuming health
It’s insane to me that Indiana keeps trying to move him, even though they lucked into Jalen Smith, who is comparable to him/Ibaka. If they were to move him, they should be getting a big haul, but instead it looks like just trying to dump him on whoever would give them 1 or 2 assets.
Meanwhile, they move Sabonis for obvious reasons, and now they want Ayton, which makes no sense, especially around all the shooting they have now. They could really use Turner’s defense, and it’s not like he’s old. Maybe they dont want to pay him in FA, but then why would they pay Ayton?
Indy has no reason to give Phoenix anything. That’s why. If Phoenix matches, so be it, Indy keeps Turner.
Turner is a far better shooter than most bigs in the league.
Stretch Stauskas, Morgan and Fitts and they’ll have the max room.
So Phoenix don’t want to max him, and don’t really want to match either.
Indy are willing to offer the max
Way I see it is best case scenario for the Suns is they get Myles Turner and that would be a terrific return. Indy could simply throw the max offer at Ayton and keep Turner knowing the Suns don’t want to match. If they do match it basically takes them out of the running for KD.
Suns should be begging for Turner and even willing to give up second round picks to do a sign and trade
Ridiculous comment.
No that’s about right.
Clearly has no idea about now trades and free agency works
Suns can match, he’s still a sun until they don’t
Suns need to make their push for KD right now. Keeping Ayton seems like a much better scenario than taking back Turner and a 1st
Another report (threat). If IND is really going to sign Ayton to an offer sheet, what’s taking so long? IND and/or Ayton’s agents are putting this out there.
PHX will almost certainly match. The question is not whether they want to pay him max; they don’t. The question is what’s worse, paying him max now (and trading him later) or losing him for nothing now (and trying to replace him without any cap space). If they don’t match, that’s NOT cheap. It’s stupid. James Jones is certain not stupid, although the owner may or may not be, and at the end of the day, it’s the owner’s call.
This is a mistake by Suns. Ayton is going to make them regret it. All Suns did was undervalued their own asset. So will get back less value……. not very smart
Halliburton is the right guy for Ayton. With Mathurin, those three are going to be special. Three future stars
link to nypost.com
Looks like this one will happen soon per ESPN. Ayton for Turner. Big win for the Suns in my opinion.
Phx is a joke. Why take a Center #1 if u unwilling to pay him. Plus u passed on Luka Doncic a generational talent. Imagine Luka, Booker & cp3 w bridges..
Phx is a joke…
But man look out 4 the Pacers. They didn’t do a full rebuild they retooled… and there core is all under 23 & legit.
Jalen Smith only 19, Isaiah Washington 20.
Halliburton
Duarte
Mathurin
Brisset
Bitzade
Ayton
And bunch of extra 1sts plus B hield Jr still.
Pacers are young & gonna be legit. I think Mathurin gonna be a STAR. he’s legit..
Halliburton Duarte Mathurin J Smith Ayton
That’s a nice young core. Plus D Washington jr…
And Rick Carlisle can coach. There play Defense..
Pacers are 1x of my teams to watch sneak into playoffs..
Straight up Halliburton and Ayton be an all star duo and Mathurin on the wing will develop into a solid player too. J Smith, Duarte etc etc
Lot of chatter about Ayton to Pacers. Looks like it’s done to me too. I want to see what they get. Has to be Turner and Duarte plus picks. Pacers pull this out. This is Major.
Nets blew this one. I believe in Ayton. At 23 he has a lot of game in front of him. Should of been more serious about this.
This could potentially be a bad move for the Pacers IMO. My reasoning is that I don’t really feel like they would be upgrading at the center position if they deal Myles Turner in a sign-and-trade, unless Deandre Ayton has high upside.
I do think Ayton will have high upside and this will be a major win for the Pacers, but it could be wrong giving up draft picks for a gamble, but I do seriously think it will work out.