The Phoenix Suns have seemingly been on a mission all throughout this season, as they have carried a 64-18 regular season record into the playoffs.
Many consider them the favorites to win the NBA championship, something they failed to do last year when they blew a 2-0 series lead against the Milwaukee Bucks in the championship series.
One of the big reasons why Phoenix is looking so pristine these days is center Deandre Ayton.
But once the playoffs end, it will face a tough decision, as he will become a free agent, and it seems like he will demand a max contract.
Is he really worth that much money?
Ayton Is Integral To The Suns’ Championship Hopes
The 23-year-old, 6-foot-11 big man is someone who the Suns simply cannot do without.
He averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in the regular season while shooting an outstanding 63.4 percent from the field.
He may not be a legitimate post-up or one-on-one threat offensively, but he still plays a key role in their attack.
Phoenix uses him a lot in pick-and-rolls, and his length and height make him an easy target when he rolls to the basket, or when he simply flashes into the paint and teammates find an opening through which to throw him a pass.
Ayton’s ability to get easy baskets inside time and time again help the Suns average 114.8 points per game, which was fifth in the NBA.
Defensively, Ayton is not a big-time shot blocker, at least according to stats, but he still helps anchor one of the game’s best defenses.
He recorded a 105 defensive rating on the year, and he does a solid job of protecting the rim.
There are a lot of NBA fans that have probably recently heard about Deandre Ayton’s improvement on defense. Here’s what it looks like. These are almost all of his blocks so far this season and it’s a good demonstration of how he has improved. pic.twitter.com/qsPjVi9wpY
— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) February 27, 2020
Deandre Ayton's defense was highly impactful in the Suns and Warriors' first matchup on Tuesday!#NBACourtOptix powered by Microsoft Azure highlights Ayton's disruptiveness and how he stepped his game up against Golden State.
Tune-in to PHX GSW at 10pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/ad8w1zDnHh
— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2021
Ayton Is Not Even Close To An Elite Player
As good as Ayton is, he is yet to make an All-Star team, and his level of production simply isn’t where one would expect it to be for a max-level player.
He has a lack of ability to create his own shot one-on-one, and he hasn’t really added a perimeter jumper to his arsenal yet.
Ayton has also been somewhat injury-prone in his four NBA seasons.
He missed 24 contests this season, and he missed most of the first half of the 2019-20 campaign as well.
There is an old saying that the best ability is availability, and if his career so far is any indication, perhaps the Suns won’t be able to count on Ayton to be available to play most of the time.
All this doesn’t sound like the description of a player who is worth a max contract.
Phoenix Will Likely Need to Pay Him More Than They Want To
If the Suns want to keep their core together for at least a little longer, they will likely need to pay Ayton more than his market value.
If Ayton remains with the team, it will continue to be a title contender as long as Chris Paul continues to play at an elite level, and this season has given Suns fans hope that he can continue to do so for at least another year or two.
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