During NBA Today on Monday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned the Oklahoma City Thunder as an example team who could hand Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton — who will be a restricted free agent this summer — an offer sheet.
Ayton played a career-low 17 minutes and scored a career-low five points in a Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. When asked why he only played Ayton so little minutes, Suns head coach Monty Williams said it was an internal decision.
“He wanted a max deal. He would not move off of that. So now, he moves toward restricted free agency this summer. Where now he’ll have some more options but ultimately Phoenix can still match an offer out there and keep him if he signs an offer sheet with another team,” said Wojnarowski. “You’re gonna look at the teams with cap space. A team — let’s say for example — Oklahoma City, a San Antonio, a Portland; teams who could create enough cap space to go out and sign him.”
Woj mentions OKC as a possible team who could sign Deandre Ayton onto an offer sheet this summer:
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 17, 2022
Considering Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in his exit interview that he does not foresee the team spending a ton of money this offseason, I just think this is a classic example of Ayton’s agent trying to create leverage with his contract situation.
Ayton is a nice player, but it’s a year too early to go out and sign someone like him to a max deal. The Thunder want their books as clean as possible for after 2023 whenever the new CBA is agreed upon and the team finds out what new rules are in place.
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