After a few rocky months of constant trade rumors, contract stalemates, and a murky future with the franchise - Deandre Ayton took to social media to express his gratitude after re-signing with the Phoenix Suns.
“I’m happy to put free agency behind me and ready to work and compete for a championship with my teammates,” Ayton stated via a team release.
On Monday, the Phoenix Suns re-signed Deandre Ayton who previously received a four-year, $133 million offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers.
Following up on the Suns matching the offer last week, Ayton cannot be traded until January 15th and has full veto power for one year.
This is the first time Ayton has publicly spoken since the postseason second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks in May.
In a release sent to ESPN, Ayton shared how grateful he was after signing his max contract. "This is a blessing," Ayton told ESPN, "This contract not only has generational impact for my family, but also with the way we are able to work in the Phoenix community and home in the Bahamas."
General Manager James Jones was present with Ayton's family while he signed his name on the dotted line.
“Deandre is a force on both ends of the floor, who has elevated his game every year and will continue to do so,” said Jones. “DA is so important to what we do and without him we could not have reached our recent levels of success. We are excited to keep Deandre at home in the Valley where he belongs.”
The former number one overall pick in 2018 will celebrate his 24th birthday this Saturday.
He will be entering his fifth NBA season in the valley and is stoked to get back to work with his teammates who just won a franchise-record 64 games last season.