Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are reportedly looking at ways to keep Deandre Ayton despite an unceremonious ending to the season.

Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Suns are among the teams interested in acquiring the No. 8 pick from the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2022 NBA draft and could include "a player like Cameron Johnson in order to free up salary-cap flexibility" to re-sign Ayton.

The Suns currently have $129.2 million in payroll commitments to nine players next season. Team governor Robert Sarver has indicated a willingness to go into the luxury tax if they are in a position to "compete at the highest level" for a championship.

Ayton seemed to solidify his status as a key member of Phoenix's roster over the past two seasons. The 23-year-old was terrific in the 2021 postseason, particularly on the defensive end, to help the Suns reach the NBA Finals.

During the 2021-22 regular season, Ayton maintained his high level of play to help the Suns finish with the NBA's best record (64-18). He averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game with a career-best 105 defensive rating in 58 starts, per Basketball Reference.

Phoenix's dream season turned into a nightmare with a loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team led the series 2-0 and 3-2 before falling in seven games.

Game 7 saw the Suns get blown out 123-90 on their home court, and Ayton mysteriously only played 17 minutes. Head coach Monty Williams cryptically told reporters "it's internal" on why his young center didn't play more.

Ayton was eligible to sign an extension for the first time last offseason. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported talks between Ayton's camp and the Suns stalled because the team didn't want to offer him a rookie max deal that would have paid him at least $172.5 million over five years.

Suns general manager James Jones told The Athletic's Sam Amick the team was open to discussing a shorter max deal of three or four years, but the two sides never had any "real negotiations."

The Suns can make Ayton a restricted free agent if they extend him a qualifying offer. That would give them the right to match any potential offer sheet he might receive from an opposing club.

Ayton could also sign the one-year qualifying tender worth $16.4 million, play out the 2022-23 season with Phoenix and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He could also work out a long-term deal with the Suns this offseason.

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr., who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Russia, said he has been working in an attempt to free Brittney Griner from a Russian prison.

"Would I put my life on the line, take a chance to go to Russia to exchange prisoners? Yes, I would," Jones told TMZ Sports (3:47 mark). "Why? Because if it was my daughter, I would want somebody to do the same thing for me."

Griner has been jailed on drug charges in Russia since February after authorities allegedly found hash oil in her luggage. She is facing up to 10 years in prison.

The United States has classified Griner as being "wrongfully detained."

"The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is among the highest priorities of the U.S government," the U.S. State Department (h/t ESPN's T.J. Quinn) said last month. "The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. ... The U.S. government will continue to undertake efforts to provide appropriate support to Ms. Griner."

The Russian government pushed Griner's trial back until at least July 2 last week. She will remain incarcerated until at least that date, barring some intervention that allows her to be freed.

Jones said he has spoken to a friend who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin about Griner's release. According to Jones, Russia would be amenable to a potential prisoner exchange.

"My friend called and he called me back and he said, 'Yes, they said they'd be willing to do a prisoner exchange.' I said, 'Well, it's probably rough because the prisoner exchange is probably a real prisoner.' She's not necessarily a person that's a real prisoner, but I'm sure that maybe the U.S. will be understanding of this and get her back home because I'd be terrified if my kid was stuck in a foreign country in jail, you know?"

Griner has played basketball in Russia since 2014 for UMMC Ekaterinburg.

A Phoenix Suns employee resigned and said she was "the target of bullying and retaliation by superiors after raising concerns about gender equity and misconduct within the organization," according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

The report comes as the NBA continues to investigate Suns team governor Robert Sarver and the workplace culture inside the team's offices.

Holmes shared a statement from the organization:

We have been made aware of allegations by a former employee and are investigating them, consistent with our Respect in the Workplace Policy. The Phoenix Suns are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment, and we do not tolerate retaliation for the reporting of alleged misconduct.

Melissa Fender Panagiotakopoulos, who started working for the Suns in August 2007, wrote an email to Sarver and 15 other team governorship members to announce her resignation, per Holmes. Panagiotakopoulos laid out what she believed were issues within the organization, which she said has "never been more dysfunctional, and the culture is rapidly eroding."

Before that, Panagiotakopoulos penned a memo to the Suns' human resources department last November, saying her employer "does not place the same value on developing women in its workforce, or even on ensuring they are treated equally as compared to their male counterparts."

She said in her email that the memo resulted in "consistent retaliation and bullying by my direct leadership."

Holmes first reported on the Suns' workplace culture on Nov. 4, 2021. He interviewed 70 current and former Suns employees whose tenures overlapped with Sarver's governorship, and they "describe[d] a toxic and sometimes hostile workplace under [him]":

Some told ESPN that he has used racially insensitive language repeatedly in the office. Employees recounted conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic, including Sarver once passing around a picture of his wife in a bikini to employees and speaking about times his wife performed oral sex on him. Some said the longtime owner fostered an environment in which employees felt they were his property, even once asking one woman whether he "owned" her to determine whether she worked for the Suns.

Sarver had issued a statement in advance of the story, saying he was "wholly shocked by some of the allegations purported by ESPN about me."

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1451668638918795267

Days later, Holmes reported three former Suns employees reached out to say they received messages from Sarver's wife, Penny, that they viewed as "an attempt to intimidate them."

The NBA announced last November it was soliciting the services of the Wachtell Lipton law firm to investigate the allegations laid out in Holmes' first report.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill on June 8 that there was nothing in the way of updates regarding the investigation but added it was nearing an end.

"There's no question about it. It's a complex investigation," Silver said. "There are hundreds of people who are involved and need to be interviewed. And we also want to make sure we protect the rights of everyone involved.

"So these things by nature, I know what frustrates people, do seem to take a lot of time, but we're certainly getting very close to the end."

The Phoenix Suns are "increasingly expected to engage in serious sign-and-trade talks" regarding star center Deandre Ayton, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein listed the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks as possible candidates to land Ayton. He added more teams could enter the mix if Phoenix signals it's ready to move on from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.

Especially in retrospect, it was telling when the Suns didn't table a max offer to Ayton when he became extension-eligible last summer. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last October that Suns ownership didn't feel Ayton was on the same level as others from the 2018 draft class who received max contracts.

Still, fences could've been mended if Ayton had a big year and reinforced his value to Phoenix on the court.

Not only did that not happen, but the fallout from the team's conference semifinals exit may have removed any chance of the 6'11" big man sticking around. The situation is not entirely dissimilar to how Ben Simmons' relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers deteriorated following the 2021 playoffs.

Suns head coach Monty Williams played Ayton for just over 17 minutes in Phoenix's season-ending defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, and his comments after the series did little to lower the temperature.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer provided more context when he reported in May that Williams "has purportedly griped about Ayton's waning focus, which some people contacted by B/R said has often been reflected by the ebbs of his playing time."

Wojnarowski reported May 16 that Ayton "is gonna get a max contract in the marketplace somewhere," so he might wind up a winner despite how everything has unfolded.

Because Ayton is only eligible for restricted free agency, the Suns maintain some leverage when it comes to a sign-and-trade. Maybe they can flip him for a proven veteran such as Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant.

This certainly isn't how Phoenix will have expected things to shake out four years after making Ayton the top pick in the draft, but the franchise can still make the most out of a difficult predicament.

Will health and a coaching change be enough for the Los Angeles Lakers to rebound from a disastrous season? We may find out soon enough as sources close to the team, along with several competing executives, believe the Lakers are operating as if Russell Westbrook will be on the roster to start next season.

If the Lakers intend to trade Westbrook, assuming he opts into his final year at $47.1 million, it's the front office that will need to sacrifice. Several executives believe the Lakers would need to take on expensive players ($15-25 million range) with two to four years left on their contract—not specifically, but players with contracts like Davis Bertans, Duncan Robinson, Julius Randle, Malcolm Brogdon, etc.—or send out one or two first-round picks, especially for quality rotation players in return.

New head coach Darvin Ham recently praised Westbrook while also demanding the veteran point guard, along with the rest of the roster, be ready to sacrifice for the greater good next season. But what about LeBron James?

The Lakers were paralyzed at the trade deadline without clarity from James, and they remain so. The star forward is eligible for an extension on August 4, but most of the team's moves will need to happen in June and July.

The Lakers are stuck without a commitment from James, whose contract expires after the 2022-23 season. Competing executives and agents do not expect the team to get clarity from James ahead of the draft and free agency.

James could help make decisions easier if he verbally commits to an additional two seasons, timing his contract with Anthony Davis through 2024-25 (although Davis has an early termination option to leave one year sooner). Unpleasant salary is easier to digest in trade if the Lakers are reinvested in James with Davis. The last thing the team would want to do is eat up its 2023-24 cap space on players it doesn't value with James leaving as an unrestricted free agent.

The fear is similar in trading draft picks. If James were guaranteed to stick around another couple of seasons, L.A. might consider bigger moves like trading picks to get out of Westbrook for viable talent.

The Lakers will only have a $6.4 million taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum contracts to spend to add talent if they retain Westbrook. That may not be enough to bring back Malik Monk with several other teams armed with at least the $10.3 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NTMLE). Some alternate targets could be Otto Porter Jr., Joe Ingles, Gary Payton II, Bruce Brown Jr., Damian Jones, Isaiah Hartenstein, Thomas Bryant, Taurean Prince, Gorgui Dieng, Lonnie Walker IV, Gary Harris, Austin Rivers or Aaron Holiday (among many others).

Do any of those names catapult the Lakers back to contention? James can empower the franchise to make bolder moves with a commitment. Without it, the franchise may be overwhelmed by the inertia of uncertainty.

Lottery Picks Available

The 2022 NBA draft should bring solid talent into the league, but not nearly as much as the 2021 class. At least that's the buzz around the league, which described a gap after the first two or three prospects. Most expect the Orlando Magic to take Jabari Smith Jr. from Auburn and the Oklahoma City Thunder to select Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren second.

Some executives argue that Duke's Paolo Banchero is the clear third, destined for the Houston Rockets. Others suggest Jaden Ivey or Keegan Murray belong in the top three, with Banchero dropping. But the general vibe is that several lottery picks could be available in trade, starting with the Sacramento Kings at No. 4.

Teams looking to make the playoffs may want to upgrade their rosters with veteran players instead of prospects. Or they might try to trade up for more of a sure thing (if there is such a thing in the draft) like Ivey or Murray. That may include teams like the Portland Trail Blazers (No. 7), New Orleans Pelicans (No. 8), Washington Wizards (No. 10), New York Knicks (No. 11), Charlotte Hornets (No. 13) and Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 14). Even the Thunder, who have three first-round picks, may be open to moving No. 12.

More than half of the 14 lottery picks may be attainable, and interested teams are trying to determine where they can strike. Who will move up, down or out may not be apparent until draft day.

Some veteran trade targets might include Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton (sign-and-trade), Rudy Gobert, Jalen Brunson (sign-and-trade) and Myles Turner. Since teams cannot agree to a sign-and-trade in June, a few may draft on faith that their trade target will be available in July, especially if faith equates to an illegal prearranged deal.

Bigs on the Move?

One of the hottest topics heading into the offseason is Ayton's fate with the Phoenix Suns. The franchise didn't issue him an extension before the season, and after their recent playoff flameout, there's considerable skepticism that the team will re-sign him. Instead, the restricted free agent may need to solicit an offer sheet or navigate a sign-and-trade. If so, Ayton is expected to seek a maximum contract that could reach $131.2 million over four seasons.

The Utah Jazz were also ousted earlier than they had hoped, leading to the resignation of coach Quin Snyder. Many competing executives and agents believe the franchise will look to move Gobert, who has four years and $169.7 million left on his contract.

The Orlando Magic have a young 7-footer hitting restricted free agency in Mo Bamba, whose market value may be closer to the $10.3 million NTMLE. The Magic may look to retain him, especially if the franchise drafts Smith at No. 1. If Orlando chooses Holmgren, Bamba could become available via sign-and-trade or even as an unrestricted free agent.

Teams seeking a starting center may include the Toronto Raptors, Pistons, Trail Blazers and Hornets. Some sources believe the San Antonio Spurs (Jakob Poeltl), Chicago Bulls (Nikola Vucevic), Hawks (Clint Capela, John Collins), Pacers (Turner) or even Kings (Richaun Holmes, Harrison Barnes) could look to swap out existing players for one of the top available centers via trade.

Would the Bulls offer Coby White, Marko Simonovic and Vucevic for Gobert? Would Sacramento try to pair Domantas Sabonis with Gobert with an offer of Holmes, Barnes and No. 4? Do the Phoenix Suns target Capela or Collins in an Ayton sign-and-trade? It's too early to guess how teams ultimately reshuffle, but now is the time to run scenarios and feel other teams out as the draft nears with free agency beginning a week later.

Another big who could be on the move is Steven Adams of the Memphis Grizzlies, although he's extremely well-liked in the locker room.

Elsewhere...

Additional buzz heading into the draft and free agency:

• The Thunder may be the first domino with up to $31.8 million in cap space. The team is open to taking on unwanted salary for draft compensation before its room disappears on July 1 when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's extension kicks in.
• The Knicks looking to hire Rick Brunson, per Ian Begley of SNY, isn't a coincidence. His son, Dallas Mavericks free-agent Jalen Brunson, may be next. While New York won't have the cap room, multiple sources believe Dallas may blink at Brunson's asking price, compelled to sign and trade him to the Knicks.
• Competing teams are very curious how the Brooklyn Nets deal with Kyrie Irving, the Philadelphia 76ers with James Harden and the Washington Wizards with Bradley Beal. All three have player options but could opt out and re-sign or walk outright as free agents.
• The Suns are apparently hoping Dario Saric returns to form after a knee injury and may not be looking to dump his $9.2 million remaining in trade.
• The Hawks may waive Danilo Gallinari, whose $21.5 million contract is only $5 million guaranteed. Similarly, the Trail Blazers may cut Eric Bledsoe's $19.4 million with a $3.9 million guarantee. Either could end up in a trade, though the returns for Atlanta and Portland would be based on the guaranteed portion, not the full salaries.
• After hiring Kenny Atkinson, the Hornets may hold onto Gordon Hayward. Several sources believe the Pacers will keep Turner. Pencil in Chris Boucher to return to the Raptors.
• The Cavaliers may look to restock their backcourt with a healthy Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio, who they traded to the Pacers at the deadline.
• The Pistons are expected to retain Marvin Bagley III. The team may make a run at a restricted free agent like Miles Bridges or Ayton, either by offer sheet or sign-and-trade.
• Many believe D'Angelo Russell is available out of Minnesota.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill that the league's investigation into Phoenix Suns governor Robert Sarver following allegations of fostering a toxic culture is "getting close to the end."

Sarver is accused of racism and misogyny during his 17-year tenure as the Suns' governor, per a Nov. 4 report from ESPN's Baxter Holmes, which read in part:

Interviews with more than 70 former and current Suns employees throughout Sarver's 17-year tenure describe a toxic and sometimes hostile workplace under Sarver. Some told ESPN that he has used racially insensitive language repeatedly in the office. Employees recounted conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic.

Later that day, NBA Executive Vice President of Communications Mike Bass released a statement announcing that the Wachtell Lipton law firm would be conducting an investigation and that the findings would "provide the basis for any league action."

Sarver has denied the allegations, calling them "completely baseless."

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1451668638918795267

The 60-year-old Sarver purchased the Suns in 2004 for $401 million. He also owns the Phoenix Mercury and RCD Mallorca of La Liga.

During the latter stages of their Western Conference Semifinals loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Phoenix Suns reportedly dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak.

According to Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, six people within the Suns organization tested positive for COVID-19 either late in the second round of the playoffs or the day after the team's 123-90 Game 7 defeat at home.

Suns assistant Bryan Gates tested positive after Game 6, which prevented him from coaching in Game 7, while an unnamed player reportedly tested positive the day after Game 7.

The other four people who tested positive for COVID-19 were reportedly Suns support staffers.

Multiple people within the Suns organization reportedly indicated that they weren't feeling well prior to Game 7, leading to questions regarding whether the Suns followed protocols by having everyone who was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms get tested.

While the Suns have declined public comment, they have privately insisted that they followed protocols, per Amick and Vardon. Additionally, an NBA spokesperson said, "The NBA has seen no evidence to suggest any rules violations by Suns players or staff."

A source close to the Mavericks told The Athletic that they were concerned about COVID-19 during the series after hearing rumblings as early as Game 5 that the Suns were dealing with an outbreak.

With a record of 64-18, the Suns were the NBA's best team during the regular season by a significant margin, and they entered the playoffs as the favorite to win a championship.

Phoenix was widely expected to reach the NBA Finals at the least after making it that far the previous season before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Instead, the team blew series leads of 2-0 and 3-2, allowing the Mavericks to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

It is unclear if COVID-19 played any role in the Suns' Game 7 performance, but they didn't play anything like the team that dominated the NBA during the regular season.

Phoenix allowed Luka Doncic to go off for 35 points in the decisive game and didn't have any of its own players score more than 12 points.

Devin Booker had an especially tough game, scoring just 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting.

The Suns should be a force again next season since they are in line to have largely the same roster if they re-sign center Deandre Ayton in restricted free agency, but there is no denying that their 2021-22 campaign ended in bitter disappointment.

Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix is one of the biggest questions of the NBA offseason as he heads into restricted free agency.

And there are growing rumblings that Ayton could soon be playing elsewhere. According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, it's "more likely than not" that Ayton leaves the Suns this summer.

Hollinger added: "I don't think Phoenix is totally comfortable going forward with him on a big-money deal, and I think Ayton might be okay with going somewhere else if he can have a bigger offensive role."

It's unclear precisely how the Suns would choose to move on from Ayton this summer, either by not matching an offer sheet in free agency or agreeing to a sign-and-trade. Per Hollinger, it's something of a mystery around the NBA.

The 23-year-old is fresh off a 2021-22 season that saw him average 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 63.4 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three and 74.6 percent from the charity stripe.

While Ayton isn't an elite rim-protector, he's no slouch defensively and has the athleticism to switch out on the perimeter. He's a strong roll man in Phoenix's pick-and-roll with Chris Paul and works hard on the boards. While he doesn't have strong perimeter shooting or playmaking ability, he checks most of the boxes teams want from a center in the modern NBA.

But perhaps Ayton feels stifled in Phoenix as a third option behind Devin Booker and Paul. Or perhaps the Suns aren't willing to pay max money for a center who doesn't offer an impact on the level of a Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid. Maybe it's a bit of both, with other factors behind the scenes that have added tension to the relationship.

"Deandre Ayton did not feel valued by this Phoenix organization... [He] is going to get a max contract in the marketplace, somewhere... There are a lot of teams lining up to figure out: how can we acquire him?"@wojespn on Ayton's future with Suns 👀https://t.co/d6flmZNCjz

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 16, 2022

If the Suns were all-in on Ayton, however, they would have extended him last offseason.

As B/R's Jake Fischer reported in May, "Last offseason, Phoenix balked at the five-year, $170 million-plus maximum figure during Early Bird negotiations with Ayton's representatives. The Suns then quietly gauged his trade value in February, sources told B/R, including one structure with Indiana that featured Domantas Sabonis."

So a departure continues to feel likely, even if that development once might have seemed unlikely.

The Phoenix Suns didn't sign Deandre Ayton to an extension, which could end up being a trend around the NBA regarding centers.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps and Tim McMahon provided a breakdown on The Hoop Collective:

"There is a thought around the league that paying centers in the modern NBA is a mistake," McMahon said (5:40). 

McMahon did acknowledge there are still exceptions with elite players, notably Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid after they finished first and second in MVP voting this past season.

Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, is a restricted free agent this offseason. 

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported the Suns chose not to offer Ayton a five-year max extension last offseason that would have been worth over $170 million, and they "quietly gauged his trade value in February."

The center was then surprisingly benched down the stretch of the team's Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs.

It's been a surprising twist for a player who was the second-leading scorer on the NBA's best team during the regular season.

Ayton averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2021-22 and averaged a double-double in each of his four NBA seasons. 

Despite his impressive numbers, there are questions about his value on the roster. He ranked just fourth on the team in win shares (7.3) behind Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker, per Basketball Reference. His 2.1 value over replacement player was the same as Cameron Johnson, who is also eligible for an extension this offseason. 

Even the most productive centers have struggled to lead their teams deep in the playoffs.

The four highest-paid players at the position in average salary—Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jokic and Embiid—have a combined one career appearance in the conference finals. 

Phoenix could decide to allocate its resources in other areas as it tries to bring home an NBA title for the first time in franchise history.    

Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker was named a first-team All-NBA selection on Tuesday night, while Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns was named to the third team. 

That made both players eligible in the future for the designated veteran contract, aka a supermax extension, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. 

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, who was named to the third team, became eligible for a 30 percent max extension.

Players are eligible for 35 percent supermax deals when they have between 7-9 years of NBA experience and meet one of the following criteria:

• Made an All-NBA team in the most recent season or each of the two seasons prior to being extension eligible.
• Were named Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season or each of the two seasons prior to being extension eligible.
  
• were crowned MVP in one of the three seasons prior
  

So because both Booker and Towns otherwise met the criteria, Tuesday's All-NBA selection made them some serious coin (assuming their franchises offer them these supermax extensions, which seems likely).

ESPN's Bobby Marks offered the estimated figures for that pair and Young:

Devin Booker and Karl Anthony-Towns are eligible to sign a four-year $211M super max extension this offseason. Both players have 2 years left on their contract and the extension would begin in 2024/25.
 
The projected extension: $47.1M, $50.8M, $54.6M and $58.4M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 25, 2022

Trae Young has earned an additional $35.4M in his rookie scale contract for being named All-NBA. The Young $177M rookie extension will now increase to $212M.
 
The Hawks will take on an additional $6.1M cap hit in 2022/23 and are now $7.8M over the luxury tax.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 25, 2022

Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine, however, missed out on All-NBA honors, though he'll still be eligible to re-sign with Chicago at a massive number:

Zach LaVine (with no All-NBA)

Chicago: 5 years $212.3M

Not with Chicago: 4 years $157.4M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 25, 2022

Then there's the case of Ja Morant, who was named an All-NBA second-team selection but isn't eligible for the 30 percent max extension just yet under the designated rookie extension rules:

Despite earning All-NBA, Ja Morant is ineligible to sign a five-year $223M rookie extension with the Grizzlies this offseason.
 
Morant will need to earn All-NBA in 2022-23 for the 30% criteria to be met.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 25, 2022

Morant is an interesting case, in that he's extension-eligible this offseason but only at 25 percent of the cap since he isn't in the final year of his rookie deal and hasn't accrued four service years. If he fails to reach All-NBA next season, that 30 percent extension disappears entirely, which happened to Jayson Tatum last year. 

I would like to see the league change the 30% rule.

A player would meet the criteria if he earns All-NBA in the last year of his rookie contract or in the first year of his extension.

Years 2-5 would be impacted. https://t.co/gwKd0wF1VU

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 25, 2022

It's a complicated business, wading into the depths of the NBA's salary cap, though the extension waters are surely feeling just right for players like Booker, Towns and Young after Tuesday's news.