Report: Deandre Ayton Returning to Suns on 4-Year, $133M Contract After Pacers Offer

The Suns are trying to get it back.

The team chose to match the four-year, $133 million offer sheet Deandre Ayton signed with the Indiana Pacers.

It was the right move for a team that reached the NBA Finals two years ago, was the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, and faced the possibility of losing a key contributor without getting anything in return.

Ayton can't be traded until January 15, and he'll have veto power on any proposed deal for a year.

Last season, Ayton and Chris Paul formed a dynamic pick-and-roll duo. The former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft has proved to be a solid offensive weapon for the Suns who is a decent defensive player.

He was not offered a max contract by the Suns before this season. The Suns were backed into a corner after Ayton found an offer with the Pacers.

It's not clear how long this partnership will last.

There were questions of internal tension between Ayton and Monty Williams after the center was taken out of the game in the third quarter.

Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA

This was Deandre Ayton's last defensive possession of the game that appeared to prompt Monty to sub him out for the final time. pic.twitter.com/Bqj2w47mA9

Ayton only played 17 minutes in the game, and when Williams was asked about the situation, he said it was internal.

There was "consistent word" from league sources with knowledge of the situation that Ayton is not a favorite of Phoenix's head coach. Some people contacted by B/R said that Williams had griped about Ayton's waning focus, which they said had been reflected by the ebbs of his playing time.

The Suns gauged his trade value in February, so a future divorce between the two sides wouldn't be a big deal.

The Suns find themselves in the luxury tax because they haven't broken the bank to get a contender on the court.

The Suns are in a new world.