Center Deandre Ayton (23) will continue to wear the Phoenix Suns jersey in the NBA, but the team had to dig deep into its pockets to keep him. The Bahamian basketball player did not agree to a contract extension with the Suns after his fourth season with the club and, as a protected free agent, he gave the nod in recent days to an offer sheet from Indiana, which promised $133 million over four years. Phoenix, however, matched that amount and secured the 23-year-old for the future.
According to ESPN, it was the highest offer an NBA club has ever had to match to keep a player. The previous record was held by Washington, which insured Otto Porter with a four-year, $107 million contract in 2017, to whom Brooklyn promised such terms.
Phoenix selected Ayton as the No. 1 pick in the draft four years ago. He has played 236 games in the NBA so far, averaging 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds. He helped the Suns win the regular season last season. In the playoffs, the team fell to Dallas in the Western Conference Semifinal.
"Phoenix! I grew up here, I was drafted here, our son was born here. We have the best fans in the world. I'm ready to get back to work with my brothers," Ayton tweeted about the contract extension.