Deandre Ayton, Pacers Agree to 4-Year, $133M Max Contract Offer Sheet

The Indiana Pacers have signed Deandre Ayton to a four-year, $133 million maximum offer sheet.

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn

RFA center Deandre Ayton has agreed to a four-year, $133M maximum offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, his agents Nima Namakian (Innovate Sports) and Bill Duffy (BDA Sports + WME Sports) tell ESPN. The Phoenix Suns have 48 hours to match the largest offer sheet in NBA history.

If the Suns want to allow Ayton to join the Pacers, they have two days to match the offer.

Ayton was eligible for an extension last year. If he wanted to play out the string with Phoenix and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, he would have to wait until the 2022-23 season.

There were disagreements between the two sides about Ayton's worth.

Ayton wanted a five-year max that would have guaranteed him $172.50 million.

The Suns never formally presented an offer for a shorter max deal in the three to four year range.

There were a number of deals for top players in the draft, including No. 3 pick Luka Doncic.

Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42

Extensions so far:3: L. Doncic: 5/$207.1 million5: T. Young: 5/$172.5 million7: W.Carter Jr.: 4/$50 million10: Mk.Bridges: 4/$90 million 11: S. Gilgeous-Alexander: 5/$172.5 million14: M. Porter Jr.: 5/$172.5 million27: R.Williams: 4/$48 million

Total of $913M

The Suns aren't known for being high-spending, but team governor Robert Sarver stepped out of his comfort zone after a trip to the NBA finals. Chris Paul signed a four-year deal with the Phoenix Suns.

The Bookers signed a max extension. He signed a five-year contract with the Suns that will keep him with the team through the 24th century. Bridges was selected in the same draft as Ayton.

Ayton has come a long way since his first season. The No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft looked like a disappointment out of the gate, despite posting a good stat line.

His defense was criticized in the first season. It looked bad to pick him at the top.

Ayton became a star for the Suns during their run to the NBA finals after evolving his style of play. His scoring average was a career low but he was more efficient with his shooting and field goal percentage.

The Suns defeated the Lakers in six games in the first round of the playoffs. When he was on the bench, the Lakers offense scored 58.6 points in the paint.

Ayton and the Suns didn't have a great ending to their time together. They were defeated in the Western Conference semifinals by the Dallas Mavericks.

Monty Williams wasn't sure why Ayton only played 17 minutes in the last game.

Kellan Olson @KellanOlson

Monty Williams on Deandre Ayton only playing 17 minutes tonight: "It's internal."

The Suns became one of the best teams in the Western Conference as a result of Ayton's evolution. He has only scratched the surface of his full potential, according to his age and skill set.

It's difficult to tell what the Pacers' plan is because of their recent moves.

The key players they have acquired since the Feb. 10 trade deadline are Tyrese Haliburton and Ayton, who are both under the age of 24.

In each of the last two seasons, the Pacers finished under.500. The 25-57 mark was their worst since 1984.

In Indiana, defense was the main issue. The unit ranked in the middle of the pack in both points allowed and rating.

Ayton is a good defensive center who should be an upgrade in Indiana.

His ability in the pick-and-roll makes him a valuable addition for the Pacers.

If Ayton's Game 7 against the Mavs was a blip on the radar rather than an indication of a bigger problem, the Pacers could emerge as a borderline playoff contender.