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CGTN Sports Talk EP166 Ayton's extension.mp3
The Phoenix Suns and their starting center, Deandre Ayton, put an end to their yearlong contract extension soap opera after the franchise decided to match the four-year, $133 million deal offered to Ayton by the Indiana Pacers.
The Suns managed to save money because they avoided giving Ayton a five-year, $173 million contract. However, they will have to deal with his frustration at least for the first few months of the 2022-23 season.
Ayton will still be paid a lot of money for only four years, instead of the usual five. He will also hit the free agency market earlier than others in his class. If he can remain healthy and continue improving like he has been, Ayton will still have a good chance to ink another lucrative contract in four years.
Therefore, it will be in the common interest of both the team and player for Ayton to perform well on the court and for the Suns to help him do so.
Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns looks on in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 24, 2022. /CFP
Deandre Ayton (L) and Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns talk to each other in the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., February 5, 2022. /CFP
Deandre Ayton (L) and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns greet each other in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, May 2, 2022. /CFP
Host: Li Xiang
Guest: Matthew Watson
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
Chief editor: Chen Ran
Supervisor: Zhang Shilei
