Deandre Ayton may have had the money, but the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers messed up on his security.
If the players can team up, why can't the owners - as evidence of the Deandre Ayton race. Ayton was a restricted free agent until the transaction and I think this transaction is helpful to all parties.
Phoenix wants to know what Ayton is worth. Indiana is unsure on whether or not they want to break their bank to give Ayton his time in the spotlight.
Ayton just wants his money... sans the player option, playoff bonuses, and trade restrictions.
All parties are satisfied.
Of course, this eliminates Phoenix from the Kevin Durant race. And probably, this leaves New York, Miami, and the Los Angeles Lakers to duke it out as potential KD landing spots.
And here's the thing about this - the players perceive that they are getting the best out of the situation but sooner or later, they have to be wary of the team owners. Lebron James started this whole player movement thing and he is just at the sidelines, manipulating the team to get the best situation for Kyrie Irving.
But then what can he do at this point? LBJ transformed the Lakers into a win-now situation and because Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook aren't enough to wheel him a title, the team is left with vet-minimum players and budget-friendly rookies.
Do you think Phoenix, Miami, or Boston would want that? Golden State, inasmuch as they can trade for Kevin Durant, isn't that reckless to destroy their bench because they also positioned their secondary players as their future star players.
Phoenix had the idea to get Ayton via Indiana. I bet that maybe deep in free agency in order for Ayton to save face, they latched on to this idea to make his name stand out. This explains why Ayton would agree to that simple contract.
Phoenix came out of free agency with a fairly intact lineup.
Now they can try to avenge their playoff fallout.