The Phoenix Suns and star center Deandre Ayton are at a stalemate in their contract extension negotiations. Ayton wants a max contract extension, but the Suns are hesitant to give him one despite the massive strides he made last season and his excellent play during the run to the NBA Finals.

Ayton spoke about the negotiations on Tuesday, and he expressed his profound disappointment at how things are playing out:

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The Suns playing hardball with the 23-year-old Ayton seems a bit foolish. While he still has one season left on his rookie contract before hitting restricted free agency, is it worth alienating such a key member of the core to not give him a max now? Perhaps there are some legitimate qualms about giving Ayton a max, especially with Devin Booker and Chris Paul holding sizable contracts and Mikal Bridges also eligible for a lucrative extension, but the big man showed how important he is to this contending roster last season.

Ayton's overall production in terms of raw numbers took a step back in 2020-21, but his impact was felt throughout the season and playoffs. He averaged 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 62.6% from the field in the regular season. In the playoffs, he went for 15.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 65.8% overall.

Even if a max is a bit of an overpay, it's certainly not egregious given he's still just 23 years old and can get even better. Sure, the Suns might want to see more from Ayton this season before paying up, and having the ability to match an offer sheet next summer gives them some leverage here. But they really should just pay him now.