After a lot of hard work, the Phoenix Suns retained center DeAndre Ayton with the maximum salary. The team matched the Indiana Pacers 's four-year US$133 million invitation contract, breaking Set a record for the amount of matching invitation contracts in league history. General manager James Jones not only achieved his goal of retaining Ayton, but also helped owner Robert Sarver save $46 million.
How can you save money with a maximum salary contract?
Ayton's agents Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian have wanted to seek a maximum salary extension with the Phoenix Suns since last season, but the Suns management refused to provide a maximum salary contract and only made a qualifying offer, making Ayton a Restricted free agent.
Ayton has played for the Suns for 4 seasons, and the team has his "Bird Rights". According to the labor agreement, the parent team can use the Bird exception to provide a 5-year maximum salary contract. The first year's salary is 25% of the salary cap for that year (Ayton's playing age and performance can only meet 25%) and then increases every year. The amount can be up to 8% of the first year's salary. Ayton enters the free market. Since other teams do not have Dunbao's "Bird Rights", they can only offer a 4-year maximum salary contract. The salary in the first year remains unchanged and is still 325% of the salary cap of the year, but it increases every year thereafter. The maximum amount of increase is 5% of the first year's salary.
Suns wants to wait and see in the free market for a while to see if any team is willing to offer a maximum salary contract. If not, the Suns will take the initiative in negotiations with Ayton's agent; even if a team is willing to offer a maximum salary, the Suns still have the right to match, and the final total amount and years will be less than what they offer. If a team offers an invitation contract below the maximum salary, the Suns would be even more happy to see it happen. From the moment the team made a qualifying offer for him, the Suns management was actually ready to keep Ayton.
The Pacers announced in the middle of last year that they were entering a rebuilding period. In the offseason, they sent away Malcolm Brogdon to free up salary space to sign Ayton. Since they do not have the initiative and cannot persuade the Suns to cancel the qualifying offer and enter sign-and-trade negotiations, the Pacers can only do their best to accept fate. Finally, the Pacers offered a four-year, US$133 million maximum salary invitation contract today, and Ayton subsequently signed it.
In the end, it depends on whether the Suns match. The team has 48 hours to consider. It is reported that James Jones matched the invitation contract 3 minutes after receiving the news.
Ayton contract details:
$30.91 million in the 2022-23 season
$32.45 million in the 2023-24 season
$34 million in the 2024-25 season
$35.55 million in the 2025-26 season
A total of 4 years, $133 million
(25% of the salary cap, maximum salary per year The increase amount is 5% of the first-year salary)
If the Suns provide a 5-year maximum salary contract, the contract details are as follows:
$30.91 million in the 2022-23 season
$33.38 million in the 2023-24 season
$35.86 million in the 2024-25 season
2025 -$38.33 million in the 2026 season
40.8 million US dollars in the 2026-27 season
A total of 179 million US dollars in 5 years
(25% of the salary cap, the annual increase in the maximum salary is 8% of the first-year salary)
The management stayed through roundabout ways For his favorite players, since the owner has allowed the luxury tax to be paid, the $46 million saved is actually even greater. (NBA official website)
