The Ayton Plan

[Mainstreet]

IDK why the Suns want a 4 year. They didn't pick up his rookie year 5th. Maybe there's a long term salary implication down the road that having him on a 4 year helps us? IDK. The Suns seem intent on the 4 year thing for him. I agree if we get like 25 mil per year, hell yeah sign me up for five years!

And a four year contract could conceivably have a player option as well on one of the years.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

So I just read from the AZ Republic the Suns did NOT conduct individual player exit interviews due to Covid. They had a generalized Zoom meeting with the whole team. That's why Monty said he had not talked with Ayton when asked by reporters. It wasn't he was mad at Ayton, he probably didn't talk individually with 90 percent of the guys on the team at that time. I am betting Booker and CP3 probably called Monty direct before then.

If that’s the case I get it, but then wait for Covid to clear and conduct individual meetings. No one is going to speak candidly negatively about anyone else or the scheme, etc in front of everyone else. If this is true it is a sign of organizational dysfunction.

 

[Yuma]

Balls in the Suns court.
If I was DA I would sign that qualifying offer with a HUGE grin on my face.
Scare the stuffing out of all those TOOLS playing games in the front office, make them think you have something lined up and then CRIPPLE them financially for the next 5 to 10 years.
But that's just me.

I know young guys aren't as angry as us old guys. That dinner with Sarver a year ago, I would have walked out just so the people there would have captured the turd sniffing look of displeasure on Sarver's face. I would have said, thanks for making me the number one pick, but in a couple seasons, if I am not traded, good luck getting anything for me.

 

[Mainstreet]

Balls in the Suns court.
If I was DA I would sign that qualifying offer with a HUGE grin on my face.
Scare the stuffing out of all those TOOLS playing games in the front office, make them think you have something lined up and then CRIPPLE them financially for the next 5 to 10 years.
But that's just me.

The problem is, Suns fans would go down with the ship as well.

 

[Yuma]

Ayton was right, if the Suns let him stuff the stat sheet, he would have gotten offers no matter what we said about matching. IDK why they make him play defense so far from the rim to limit his defensive ability for us, and I also don't know why when you have someone shooting 70 percent in games, you don't feed him the ball 20 times a game! I get he turns the ball over on some entry passes which lower his real shooting percentage, but man, stats are stats.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

I wasnt a fan of DA from the start. Didnt want him. I wanted Luca, who was NBA ready and worthy of the #1 draft spot. It would be a huge mistake for the Suns to max out DA. IMO he's lazy and his stats dont support the contract.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'd still like to get Ayton on a 5 year deal less than the max.

That's not possible. That 5th year can only be added to max salary deals.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Here's my bold predicition, Ayton signs a 2 or 3 year at the Max. Its win win if he really wants out, he plays hard to woo his next suitor, we have enough in trade salary without adding anything to get rid of him.

I've been saying that I expect it to be a 3 or 4 year max with a player option (or two) so that he can maximize his earnings now and then opt out when the new TV deal comes in.

 

[Yuma]

That's not possible. That 5th year can only be added to max salary deals.

Thank you! That explains why the Suns want a 4 year. They don't want that 5 year with 5 years of escalators, so they rather have a 4 year which is only what anyone can offer. I had a feeling there was a reason for them sticking to 4 years.

 

[Hoop Head]

Thank you! That explains why the Suns want a 4 year. They don't want that 5 year with 5 years of escalators, so they rather have a 4 year which is only what anyone can offer. I had a feeling there was a reason for them sticking to 4 years.

There are a few reasons, one of the other big ones being how he would have been our 2nd player on a designated rookie extension which would limit the chance at landing another star by trade for a few years. They didn't want that and Ayton didn't want less than 5 years and wasn't willing to hear offers for less so that ended talks last summer.

 

[Yuma]

There are a few reasons, one of the other big ones being how he would have been our 2nd player on a designated rookie extension which would limit the chance at landing another star by trade for a few years. They didn't want that and Ayton didn't want less than 5 years and wasn't willing to hear offers for less so that ended talks last summer.

YES! I forgot that! That is HUGE!

 

[Yuma]

I have a feeling after 3PM on Thursday we will at least hear a rumor of what's going to happen with Ayton.

 

[TJ]

Here's my bold predicition, Ayton signs a 2 or 3 year at the Max. Its win win if he really wants out, he plays hard to woo his next suitor, we have enough in trade salary without adding anything to get rid of him.

If I'm DA, I sign a 4 year max with a player option after year 2. Bust my ass off and then become eligible for a Super Max for even more money

 

[Covert Rain]

I have been channel surfing. Seems like there is no major buzz at all for Ayton and paying him a 4 year max. Getting a Superstar was never in the cards.

Seems like the only discussion is trying to make an offer but nobody was talking max and none of it sounded like insider info vs wishful thinking.

 

[Mainstreet]

I have a feeling after 3PM on Thursday we will at least hear a rumor of what's going to happen with Ayton.

The Suns may not talk but player agents will.

 

[Yuma]

The Suns may not talk but player agents will.

I was hearing that most teams do not want to be losing picks for tampering. The Suns feel they have all the cards, so the radio guys say they are being VERY cautious in how they talk about DA. However, most teams break down about 24 hours before and leaks come out. I think agents leak at that point.

 

[Mainstreet]

I was hearing that most teams do not want to be losing picks for tampering. The Suns feel they have all the cards, so the radio guys say they are being VERY cautious in how they talk about DA. However, most teams break down about 24 hours before and leaks come out. I think agents leak at that point.

Players and agents are much less fussy who they talk too.

 

[Covert Rain]

I was hearing that most teams do not want to be losing picks for tampering. The Suns feel they have all the cards, so the radio guys say they are being VERY cautious in how they talk about DA. However, most teams break down about 24 hours before and leaks come out. I think agents leak at that point.

All of these podcasters, insiders and media prognosticators also go into a frenzy before drafts and signing periods too. Most of the time the hype doesn't match the activity.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Thank you! That explains why the Suns want a 4 year. They don't want that 5 year with 5 years of escalators, so they rather have a 4 year which is only what anyone can offer. I had a feeling there was a reason for them sticking to 4 years.

Maybe but initially (according to James) is that it would have given them two players on the Designated Rookie Scale Extension which by rule would prevent them from acquiring another player in the same situation. It sounded a little weak at the time, and still does, but maybe they had a target in mind to replace CP this year or next. And it still allowed (allows) us to give him the max.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If I'm DA, I sign a 4 year max with a player option after year 2. Bust my ass off and then become eligible for a Super Max for even more money

Yep, it's been the obvious way to go IMO all along. James even implied it at one time when he said they didn't expect the shorter contract offer to be a problem because hitting free agency at the right time could serve Ayton better in the long run. Aiming at the next TV contract just makes a lot of sense, protecting yourself with a couple of player options is icing on the cake.

 

[TJ]

Yep, it's been the obvious way to go IMO all along. James even implied it at one time when he said they didn't expect the shorter contract offer to be a problem because hitting free agency at the right time could serve Ayton better in the long run. Aiming at the next TV contract just makes a lot of sense, protecting yourself with a couple of player options is icing on the cake.

well James is an idiot. After MPJ signed a max, there was no way at the time that the Ayton camp was gonna take anything less. If Ayton comes back on a shorter contract, Jones won the monetary long game but he pissed off a key player in the end

 

[AzStevenCal]

well James is an idiot. After MPJ signed a max, there was no way at the time that the Ayton camp was gonna take anything less. If Ayton comes back on a shorter contract, Jones won the monetary long game but he pissed off a key player in the end

I don't think making a really bad move because another team made a really bad move makes any sense. Don't get me wrong, I don't think maxing DA would have been a really bad move but if all you have to justify it is one of the stupidest decisions in the history of bad decisions, I think you've got problems.

DA had missed too many games and played below his ability on too many nights for his agent to demand a max without any discussion. If you want to call someone stupid, you really ought to look at both sides of this situation.

 

[Finito]

I don't think making a really bad move because another team made a really bad move makes any sense. Don't get me wrong, I don't think maxing DA would have been a really bad move but if all you have to justify it is one of the stupidest decisions in the history of bad decisions, I think you've got problems.

DA had missed too many games and played below his ability on too many nights for his agent to demand a max without any discussion. If you want to call someone stupid, you really ought to look at both sides of this situation.

But do you make the finals without him? Or even beat the pelicans?

It’s to the point with Ayton it’s way more playing good to great now than him playing bad to good.

 

[AzStevenCal]

But do you make the finals without him? Or even beat the pelicans?

It’s to the point with Ayton it’s way more playing good to great now than him playing bad to good.

No to both. My point was that it wasn't a slam dunk, his agent should have wanted conversation and a chance to make his case for max dollars. If you want to call JJ stupid for what he did, IMO there was a hell of a lot more stupidity on the other side. Yes, DA was tremendous in several games during the postseason but that only impresses the idiots on ESPN, it doesn't automatically make you a max player to those that didn't ignore the rest of his first 3 years.

I'd have given him the max but it isn't an inarguable position. He missed a lot of games and he played below his ability in a lot of games as I said earlier. You don't just forget about everything because he was a superstar in 7 or 8 games.

 

[Finito]

No to both. My point was that it wasn't a slam dunk, his agent should have wanted conversation and a chance to make his case for max dollars. If you want to call JJ stupid for what he did, IMO there was a hell of a lot more stupidity on the other side. Yes, DA was tremendous in several games during the postseason but that only impresses the idiots on ESPN, it doesn't automatically make you a max player to those that didn't ignore the rest of his first 3 years.

I'd have given him the max but it isn't an inarguable position. He missed a lot of games and he played below his ability in a lot of games as I said earlier. You don't just forget about everything because he was a superstar in 7 or 8 games.

Well it’s at the point now where he’s been pretty good for 3 years. The year before Paul came our bubble year, our run to the finals and this last season.

He’s gotten better every year especially defensively.

The rookie max is also about projection as much as production. I would say JJ made a huge mistake. If he had signed him to the max the money wouldn’t of kicked in till next year and you would have complete control of the situation now.