Suns match Pacers’ restricted offer on Deandre Ayton

Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty ImagesAfter offering Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton a max contract offer earlier this afternoon, the Indiana Pacers were matched by the Suns shortly after Ayton signed the four-year, $133 million offer sheet made by Indiana.

The Phoenix Suns have matched the Indiana Pacers’ four-year, $133 million maximum offer sheet on Deandre Ayton, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Ayton stays in Phoenix.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 15, 2022 The Pacers had been linked to the 23-year-old center from the start of free agency, one Ayton was involved in after talks between the Suns and Ayton stalled in a discussion of a max deal last season. Neither side…