How should the Suns handle Ayton's future with the team?

[TJ]

How long is a bruise gonna keep him out? This seems a little crazy at this point how long he’s been sitting out games now. You want a max deal play like a max player constantly and stop sitting out for a ******* bruise on your leg! Toughen up this isn’t college anymore, still acting like a big baby!

Up until this morning, that limp was pretty profound. Plus, Phoenix does a decent job keeping the severity of injuries out of the public.

 

[sdscard4]

Trade him. Still pissed he became soft Ayton when we needed him most.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Trade him. Still pissed he became soft Ayton when we needed him most.

There's some truth there but we were only in the position where we needed him most because he'd already come up big in several tough situations. Take him out of our lineup and we don't advance out of the first round. And IMO health injuries to our 3 key guards and the loss of Saric had more to do with us coming up short than Ayton did.

 

[Phrazbit]

The seesaw with this community and Ayton astounds me.

Tonight we saw the same player that the arena was chanting "pay DA" at a few weeks ago, but now, on this board at least, the majority voices are calling for him to be ran out on a rail. A 23 year old, great defender, elite on the glass, solid but not impressive on offense, on a night where he was his team's best player for most of the game and fans are roasting him.

Maybe it is good that this fan base never landed a #1 pick before, clearly the weight of the number is something that the fan base places far too much importance on.

 

[Hoop Head]

The seesaw with this community and Ayton astounds me.

Tonight we saw the same player that the arena was chanting "pay DA" at a few weeks ago, but now, on this board at least, the majority voices are calling for him to be ran out on a rail. A 23 year old, great defender, elite on the glass, solid but not impressive on offense, on a night where he was his team's best player for most of the game and fans are roasting him.

Maybe it is good that this fan base never landed a #1 pick before, clearly the weight of the number is something that the fan base places far too much importance on.

I believe it has little to do with being #1 overall but being selected ahead of 2 perennial All-Stars in Luka and Trae.

 

[Chaplin]

I believe it has little to do with being #1 overall but being selected ahead of 2 perennial All-Stars in Luka and Trae.

Pretty much the same difference.

 

[95pro]

Last night against the wolves, the fouls he picked up against KAT were the same fouls he picked up in the finals against Giannis.

 

[Finito]

Last night against the wolves, the fouls he picked up against KAT were the same fouls he picked up in the finals against Giannis.

You mean pure BS calls?

 

[JCSunsfan]

The seesaw with this community and Ayton astounds me.

Tonight we saw the same player that the arena was chanting "pay DA" at a few weeks ago, but now, on this board at least, the majority voices are calling for him to be ran out on a rail. A 23 year old, great defender, elite on the glass, solid but not impressive on offense, on a night where he was his team's best player for most of the game and fans are roasting him.

Maybe it is good that this fan base never landed a #1 pick before, clearly the weight of the number is something that the fan base places far too much importance on.

I think it's more that we just love talking about trades.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The seesaw with this community and Ayton astounds me.

Tonight we saw the same player that the arena was chanting "pay DA" at a few weeks ago, but now, on this board at least, the majority voices are calling for him to be ran out on a rail. A 23 year old, great defender, elite on the glass, solid but not impressive on offense, on a night where he was his team's best player for most of the game and fans are roasting him.

Maybe it is good that this fan base never landed a #1 pick before, clearly the weight of the number is something that the fan base places far too much importance on.

“Majority?” Eh not so much. Are there people talking about possibilities? Sure. Particularly given the contract situation. Also, quite a few of us remained in the “not sure he deserves a max just due to playoffs” group throughout all of it.

Take me for example: Ayton may be the most frustrating sun I’ve ever watched. And I’m obviously vocal about it. But he undeniably changes the outlook of this team generally for the better. I don’t want to trade him unless it’s a slam dunk make us better trade. No pupu platter of odd pieces. Nothing that would make us small or make us rely on old journeymen in the post. Heck, as much as I’m smitten with KAT’s offensive game the combo of his defense and age (compared to Ayton) makes me skeptical of even that trade. But I understand the economics of signing Ayton to a contract he may never live up to and how that could crush the suns for another decade post-Paul.

 

[95pro]

You mean pure BS calls?

Last night was more BS than the finals were. Ayton remained vertical on some fouls he picked up in the finals. The refs seem to award the offensive player, especially when it comes to big men attacking. Giannis and AD come to mind, and now KAT does too.

 

[Mainstreet]

You mean pure BS calls?

Some of those fouls called on Ayton last night were similar to the fouls called on Mark West back in the day. Saying they were ticky-tacky is being kind.

 

[JCSunsfan]

As I posted earlier. James Jones said they would have been interested in a 3 or 4-year max deal. He knows he is dealing from a position of strength.

It's not just the max contract, it's also the escalators. Other teams can only offer a four-year deal with 5% increases (The Suns can offer 8% increases if they want). I think JJ would be fine giving Ayton that deal. They also get to wait until the end of this year just in case Ayton declines, reverts, or even gets injured. Ayton can demand a trade but JJ can just say "no, you are too valuable, we are not doing it." The Lakers did that with Kobe. If he pouts and dogs it, they will trade him. JJ is big on committed character players, and they would not want a player that dogs it on their team.

He could sign a max deal with another team with a PO for year four. I think James would be fine with that too.

Looks to me like JJ plays chess, while the ESPN talking heads think he should be playing checkers.

So. I think that as soon as free agency opens, the Suns should lay a four-year deal starting at max level on the table. Make the escalator 6%. No one else can match. If he signs a lesser deal with a 4th year PO, just match it. Now if Deandre really steps up this year and approaches star status, just pay him.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

to a contract he may never live up to.

If he did exactly what he did last year (good but not great regular season, outstanding playoffs), he'd be worth it and more.

The best part about Ayton is that even if he never gets better, he's still a really good player! Ayton will surely disappoint at times but I don't see him as a cap killer.

 

[95pro]

If he did exactly what he did last year (good but not great regular season, outstanding playoffs), he'd be worth it and more.

The best part about Ayton is that even if he never gets better, he's still a really good player! Ayton will surely disappoint at times but I don't see him as a cap killer.

?

 

[sdscard4]

I'm only trading him for KAT
Nothing else

 

[ASUCHRIS]

?

A max deal.