Deandre Ayton's free agency saga will go down in history as one of the most memorable turn of events in the history of NBA free agency. After all, the Phoenix Suns' decision to match the $133 max offer sheet the Indiana Pacers had on the table is currently the record-holder for the highest matched salary in league history.
At this point, Ayton himself revealed that he is happy to be back with the Suns. At the end of the day, he got the money he wants, and he won't have to go through the trouble of adjusting to a new city and a new team.
As it turns out, however, Ayton already has his sights firmly set on Indiana. In particular, the prized big man was very excited about the prospect of teaming up with Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton. This report comes via ESPN's NBA guru Adrian Wojnaworski, via colleague Marc J. Spears:
Ayton was enthusiastic about the possibility of pairing with talented young guard Tyrese Haliburton and becoming a centerpiece of the Pacers' rebuild, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Pacers were equally excited about the possibility of potentially adding Ayton and were open to a sign-and-trade deal, sources told ESPN's Andscape.
What a partnership that would have been. These are two of the brightest young stars in the league, and they would have served as the core of an up-and-coming Pacers side for many, many years. It just wasn't to be, though, and right now, Deandre Ayton is going to be running it back with the Suns this coming season with the hopes of getting back to the NBA Finals.
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