Former NBA point guard and coach Avery Johnson said he thinks the Suns will match the Pacers’ offer for Deandre Ayton. 
“I can’t see the Suns allowing Deandre Ayton to just walk out the door like this,” Johnson said on CBS Sports.
"I can't see the Suns allowing Deandre Ayton to just walk out the door like this."@CoachAvery6 believes Phoenix will match Deandre Ayton's offer with the Pacers. pic.twitter.com/5DbSzBttzZ
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 14, 2022
That said, it’s hard to envision the Suns just outright matching the deal. Had they wanted to sign to a maximum contract, they likely would have already. Then again, they may have just been waiting to see what Ayton could land on the open market.
As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers offered Ayton a four-year, $133 million contract — the largest offer sheet in NBA history.
“So far, Suns haven’t shown an interest in negotiating a sign-and-trade on Ayton with the Pacers, but the expectation remains that Phoenix will match the record-$133M offer sheet once it’s signed,” Wojnarowski reported. “Suns could trade Ayton as soon as Jan. 15 once sheet is matched.”
As we relayed here via ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Suns and Pacers have a couple of days to decide what works best, or if they can negotiate a trade.
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