The Phoenix Suns had been the very best crew within the NBA all season. After making a shock journey to the NBA Finals final 12 months, Phoenix was even higher in Chris Paul’s second season with the franchise. The Suns gained a league-high 64 video games, noticed Monty Williams seize Coach of the Yr honors, and watched Devin Booker end No. 4 in MVP voting.

Common season success was by no means going to fulfill Phoenix. Booker had been referring to this season as a “revenge tour” after his crew completed simply two wins away from a championship final 12 months. With Paul turning 37 years previous through the playoffs and one main roster choice looming, the Suns knew this was their finest probability at a hoop for a franchise that’s by no means gained one.

Phoenix’s season is now over, and the tip was extra humiliating than anybody may have imagined. The Suns had been eradicated within the second spherical of the 2022 NBA Playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks after getting smoked in Recreation 7, 123-90, on their residence flooring in a sport that amounted to an organizational-wide failure. Mavs famous person Luka Doncic had as many factors as Phoenix did at halftime, Chris Paul melted down within the collection after Recreation 2, and Williams was out-coached by Dallas’ Jason Kidd. Nobody concerned with the Suns can say they’d an excellent sport in Recreation 7.

The large query now going through Phoenix within the offseason is the standing of restricted free agent Deandre Ayton. The Suns took Ayton at No. 1 general within the 2018 NBA Draft over Doncic, however opted towards signing him to an extension earlier than the season. Phoenix has the flexibility to match any contract Ayton indicators in free company, however doing so on the max quantity he needs would push the crew into the luxurious tax for the primary time in additional than a decade.

Ayton’s restricted free company was all the time going to be a thorny state of affairs for each the crew and the participant, and Recreation 7 towards Dallas solely made the state of affairs extra murky. Ayton completed the night time with 5 factors and 4 rebounds in solely 17 minutes. Right here’s what Williams stated about it after the sport.

An unverified report of Ayton and Williams needing to be separated additionally circulated through the sport.

A sophisticated state of affairs was solely made extra sophisticated by the Suns’ disastrous ending. Right here’s the whole lot it’s essential find out about Ayton’s free company earlier than he turns 24 years previous in July.

Deandre Ayton free company: What it might value the Suns to deliver Ayton again

Phoenix can supply Ayton a max contract of $177 million over 5 years. Right here’s. how the contract would break down, by way of ESPN’s Bobby Marks:

• 2022-23 | $30.5 million
• 2023-24 | $32.9 million
• 2024-25 | $35.4 million
• 2025-26 | $37.8 million
• 2026-27 | $40.3 million

Per Marks, the Suns have $128.8 million already dedicated in wage, and are projected to be about $20 million under the tax threshold going into the offseason. If Phoenix resigns Ayton, makes use of its midlevel exception, and resigns JaVale McGee, the Suns could be trying on the largest luxurious tax invoice within the league, as much as $77 million, per Marks. No crew paid greater than $56 million in tax this season, and solely two groups made greater than $20 million in tax.

How can one other crew signal Deandre Ayton away from the Suns?

As a restricted free agent, Ayton can signal a proposal sheet with any crew who has the cap house to deliver him in. Phoenix is the one crew that may supply Ayton a five-year deal, and he’ll get barely bigger raises on his max deal if he stays together with his incumbent crew.

A max contract for Ayton from one other crew could be $131.1 million over 4 years. If a crew creates house for Ayton and indicators him to a contract, the Suns would have two days to match.

NBA free company 2022: Which groups have the cap house to signal Ayton?

There’s solely 4 groups presently projected to have max wage cap house, in line with Marks. These groups are the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs. The Portland Path Blazers also can create max house by waiving Josh Hart.

After all, groups can create wage cap house with trades. To quote one instance, a crew just like the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder has been keen to tackle massive contracts in change for draft picks so groups can create cap house to make offseason strikes.

Ought to Phoenix re-sign Deandre Ayton?

Sure, completely. However that’s additionally simple for me to say as a result of it’s not my cash.

There’s little question the choice on Ayton grew to become extra sophisticated given his playoff efficiency. Dallas usually performed small with 5 shooters on the ground, which invited a golden alternative for Ayton to feast inside. Whereas he did rating 20+ factors 3 times within the collection, he had a tricky time on each ends of the ground towards Dallas’ spaced out assault.

Phoenix additionally has the flexibility to re-sign Devin Booker to a max extension this 12 months that will make him on the league’s highest paid gamers when it kicks in in 2024. Can they actually afford max offers for Booker and Ayton whereas Chris Paul remains to be making practically $30 million per season and Mikal Bridges is making greater than $20 million per season?

In the long run, the price of retaining Ayton for Phoenix is barely cash. Paul is coming into the twilight of his profession and doesn’t have a completely assured contract past subsequent season. As soon as CP3 ages out, Phoenix can have a younger core of Booker-Ayton-Bridges to construct round. The Suns would probably want to fit in one other high-level creator to play subsequent to Booker to actually contend, however that’s nonetheless a terrific basis to have in place.

The flip aspect of the argument is maxing out a middle who isn’t an MVP candidate like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid and doesn’t shoot threes generally is a dicey proposition. Hanging over all of that is within the investigation into Suns proprietor Robert Starver and reporters of racism and misogyny all through the group. Starver’s standing as Phoenix’s proprietor might or is probably not in jeopardy.

The Suns had been the favorites in lots of circles to win the title heading into the playoffs. If Phoenix gained the championship, resigning Ayton and protecting the core collectively was a no brainer. The query turns into far more attention-grabbing after a disappointing playoff exit. “Working it again” now not feels ok — the Suns have to get higher.

It’s uncommon for a former No. 1 general draft choose to be obtainable on the finish of his rookie contract, however that’s the case with Ayton. Regardless of the Suns resolve to do with him will go a great distance in direction of shaping the way forward for the franchise.