The Phoenix Suns and guard Grayson Allen have reportedly agreed to a four-year, $70 million contract extension. Phoenix acquired Allen as part of the three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. In his first year with the Suns, Allen enjoyed a career year. The 28-year-old appeared in 75 games, starting all but one of them. In those games, he averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. Furthermore, Allen shot 49.9% from the field and a league-leading 46.1% from beyond the arc.
Suns GM James Jones had been open about wanting to re-sign Allen past this season. Last month, Jones said the team doesn’t “want [Allen] to go anywhere.” Fortunately for him, with this extension, Allen is under contract for the next four seasons.
Phoenix Suns Re-Signing Sharpshooter to Multi-Year Contract
Re-signing Grayson Allen is a No-Brainer for the Suns
All eyes were on the Suns’ exciting trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal this season. And rightfully so. The trio were the three leading scorers for the Suns and helped lead Phoenix to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. However, Allen’s 13.5 PPG falls right behind them for most on the team. The Duke alum has been crucial to the team’s success. Head coach Frank Vogel recently spoke on Allen’s impact and consistency on the team.
“The consistency of his 3-point shot making would be at the top of the list,” said Suns coach Frank Vogel when asked what has stood out the most about Allen’s play this season. “He’s a good, all-around basketball player. There’s a lot of shooters in this league that aren’t good basketball players and he’s a hell of a basketball player in so many different ways.”
Additionally, with a $17.5 million AAV, Allen has just the fifth-highest annual salary on the team. Allen has proven he is a key player on a contending team. Letting him walk after the impressive season he had would have been tough to overcome for the Suns franchise.
Following Grayson Allen’s Extension, the Suns Are Preparing for the Playoffs
The Suns ended the regular season with a 49-33 record. Thanks to their 7-3 run to end the season, Phoenix ended up as the No. 6 seed, narrowly skipping out on the Play-In tournament. Now, the team must prepare to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Interestingly, despite Minnesota being one of the top teams in the entire NBA, the Suns are 3-0 against them this season. Furthermore, the Suns are mostly healthy and have the chance to upset one of the NBA’s elite teams in the first round.
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