The Indiana Pacers and Domantas Sabonis agreed to a four-year, $77 million contract on October 21, prior to the 2019-20 season kicking off.
This agreement on a lengthened stint with the team came down to the wire on the day of the extension deadline, as did several other extensions around the league. The deal was reported at around 4 PM, with the deadline hitting at 6 PM.
Player extensions like this can come with some certain anxiety for the team, which is why they are seldom offered. Sometimes, players lose motivation to continue progressing and adding to their game once they’ve secured a certain guarantee that they’ll have cash coming in for the next several years.