Woj: Deandre Ayton's Max Rookie Contract Extension Talks with Suns Have Stalled

The Phoenix Suns and center Deandre Ayton are reportedly at a standstill in contract extension negotiations.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Ayton wants nothing less than a maximum rookie extension, but Suns ownership doesn't believe he deserves such a lofty deal.

The max rookie extension would pay Ayton $172.5 million over five years and up to $207 million with escalators. The Suns have until Oct. 18 to agree an extension with Ayton or he can become a restricted free agent next offseason.

Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, and he has been an important part of the turnaround in Phoenix, as the Suns went from 10 straight years of missing the playoffs to reaching the NBA Finals last season.

The 6'11" big man set career highs in 2019-20 with 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 blocks per contest, but injuries limited him to just 38 games.

His production dipped last season to 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, however, he stayed healthy and shot a career-best 62.6 percent from the field.

With the Suns bringing in the likes of Chris Paul, Jae Crowder and others to join an already talented core, Ayton attempted a career-low 10 field goals per game and placed even more emphasis on his defense.

That paid dividends during the playoffs especially, as Ayton averaged 15.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game for a Suns team that made it to the NBA Finals before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Signing Ayton to a rookie max extension seemed like a foregone conclusion after what he did during the postseason, especially considering how many of his draft mates have already received such an extension.

Wojnarowski noted that Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. have all signed rookie max extensions after going in the first round of the 2018 draft.

The Suns seem poised for a deep run and to potentially vie for a championship again in 2021-22, as they are returning many of the same players, including Ayton, Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges.

Failing to sign Ayton to an extension prior to the season could create some unwanted distractions, though, and it would bring his long-term future with the team into question as well.