Deandre Ayton has officially signed his four-year, $133 million deal with the Phoenix Suns. Now, he's ready to get back to work and show everyone that the team made the right decision to bring him back.
On Twitter, Ayton shared photos of him putting pen to paper on the deal. He also accompanied it with a strong message that should get the Suns faithful excited.
“PHOENIX! I grew up here, got drafted here, had my son here. We have the best fans in the world. I’m ready to get back to work with my brothers,” Ayton wrote.
Of course, there were initial doubts that the Suns wouldn't bring Deandre Ayton back. He hasn't exactly liven up to expectations and was quite the disappointment during the 2022 playoffs, which was why Phoenix was against signing him to a max deal.
Ayton, however, is a restricted free agent. And so when he signed a $133 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, the Suns basically had no choice but to match. They couldn't risk losing the former no. 1 overall pick for nothing, after all.
Deandre Ayton has officially signed his 4-year, $133M contract with the Phoenix Suns 🔥
(📷: @Suns) pic.twitter.com/NqqYKBtJoh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 19, 2022
Despite how the whole situation unfolded, though, Ayton has no ill feelings towards the Suns and the fact that they didn't value him as much. In the end, he understood the NBA is a business and front offices and execs will do anything to put the franchise in the best position to succeed.
“I've come to understand that this is a business. So, I was more anxious to know the end of the result so I could focus, move on, and just get back to work. I just treated everything like a business. Just keep being professional, approach everything with professionalism and not looking too deep into it,” Ayton explained, per ESPN.
It remains to be seen if Ayton will be with the Suns long-term, considering the team considered trading him this offseason. For now, though, he'll remain in Phoenix.
Follow Us
Subscribe