The Pacers really want Suns star and restricted free agent Deandre Ayton.
After officially trading Malcolm Brogdon to Boston, Indiana agreed to a four-year, $133 million max offer sheet with Ayton that Ayton will sign Thursday, league sources told IndyStar. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news.
However, the clock on Ayton’s offer sheet doesn’t start until midnight, so Phoenix and Indiana could still work out a sign-and-trade before then for Ayton. If they don’t, the Suns have two days to match the largest offer sheet in league history or let Ayton go for nothing. If Phoenix matches the offer sheet, they can trade Ayton as soon as Jan. 15 but he’d have veto power on the trade for a full year and could not be traded to the Pacers.
Once Ayton signs an offer sheet, the 23-year-old center can no longer be included in a trade for Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.
Ayton was drafted No. 1 overall by the Suns in 2018, but it’s been widely expected that they will part ways since Phoenix has refused to offer Ayton a max contract. This is its final chance.
Ayton averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds last season alongside future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul and All-NBA First-Teamer Devin Booker. The 6-11 big man has averaged 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in his four-year career.
Ayton would join a promising young core in Indiana, headlined by Tyrese Haliburton. The 22-year-old point guard averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 assists in 26 games for the Pacers after being traded from the Kings last season in exchange for two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis. Haliburton could help Ayton blossom into a superstar.
Ayton would be paired with another former Arizona star, Bennedict Mathurin. The Pacers drafted Mathurin sixth overall last month, marking their highest draft pick since 1988 and first single-digit pick since 1989. Mathurin was the 2022 Pac-12 Player of the Year and the first Arizona player to win the award since Ayton in 2018.
Indiana also has second-year players and 2021 first-round picks Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. Duarte, 25, was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team last season, while Jackson, 20, has arguably the most upside of any player on the roster because of his age, athleticism and versatility.
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Indiana has already retained Ayton’s former Suns teammate Jalen Smith in free agency. The 22-year-old was traded from the Suns to the Pacers last season and signed a three-year deal with Indiana on July 6. Smith was drafted 10th overall by Phoenix in 2020 but averaged just 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 56 games compared to 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 22 games for Indiana.
Carlisle dubbed Smith the team’s new starting power forward, and Ayton would certainly be its new starting center, leaving Myles Turner as the odd man out. The 26-year-old is entering a contract year and has yet to sign an extension, so Indiana may consider trading him to avoid the crowded frontcourt it experienced when Turner and Sabonis shared the court for three-plus seasons.
Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. Reach him via email: [email protected].