We all know that billionaires write checks on whether they want to or not. That's a given, lol. It's also the employee's right to ask the billionaire for what the employee feels is a reasonable, market-value contract. There's a 100% chance Ayton gets a max deal on the open market. So if Sarver wants Ayton, he'll have to pay max. That's not bullying. That's reasonable negotiation. Sarver doesn't have to pay him the max, but he absolutely knows that if he doesn't, Ayton's gone.

And if Sarver wants to remain a title contender, it behooves him to have a content and motivated Ayton. Phoenix unlocked a new gear last season *specifically* when Ayton became a more consistent player on both ends. The center position was also rooooough when Ayton was off the floor, because they had to play Kaminsky and/or Saric. Yes, they brought in McGee in the offseason... but dude's 33, how much can he really provide? They still need Ayton giving it his all 30-32 MPG to contend for a Top 3 seed in the West and a title going forward. Unless there's some other better center option that Sarver can somehow seduce to come to Phoenix... but I've no clue where that comes from.

Sarver's always been a notoriously cheap owner-- but once he coughed up the money to give Chris Paul everything he wanted, it seemed like he was conceding, "okay, I'll pay the luxury tax for the first time in over a decade, because I want to be a title contender for the next couple of years." If they lose Ayton in restricted free agency next season, I... can't imagine that continues.

So then they're paying all that money to CP3... for, like, perennial 5-6 seed status. On some Lillard-era Blazers shit. Woof.