The Phoenix Suns resolved the issue of star Deandre Eaton, who played a major role in leading him to the NBA Finals last season, by maintaining his services with a new contract he signed on Monday and extending for the next four seasons for $133 million, according to reports.
“Diandri is a force on both sides of the field (in defense and attack) and he has raised his level of play every year and will continue to do so,” club general manager James Jones said on Monday. We recently got there. We’re excited to keep Deandre in our home… where he belongs.”
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The issue of signing the Bahamas-born center player, who celebrates his twenty-fourth birthday Saturday, on a new contract has been settled since the middle of this month, after the Suns matched the 133 million dollar offer made to the player from the Indiana Pacers, which opened the door for the free player to stay with the team.
Quoting the player’s agent, ESPN reported that the Suns, who had a deadline until July 16 to match the Pacers’ offer, responded quickly to what the latter offered, which means that the first option in the “Draft” 2018 remains in the team’s ranks.
As a free player restricted to a four-year “beginner” contract that he signed in 2018, Ayton was not entitled to move to any other team if the Suns made an offer that matched the offer of the competitor willing to serve him, and this is what happened.
The Pacers’ offer to acquire Eaton, the most expensive free player in the history of the league, surpassed the 107 million dollar offer made by the Brooklyn Nets in 2017 to include Otto Porter Jr., without succeeding in his quest because his Washington Wizards matched the offer and kept his services.
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Ayton is one of the best center players in the league, and in the season before last, in which he led the Suns to the league final before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks, he averaged 16.3 points with 10.5 rebounds per game, while his average last season was 17.2 points with 10.2 rebounds.
For his part, Ayton expressed his happiness at staying with the Phoenix Suns, saying: “I am happy to put the issue of the free player from his contract behind me and I am ready to work and compete for the championship with my teammates.”