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Last season, the focal point of the Brooklyn Nets was their All-Star trio of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving. But as important as the Nets stars were, the role players were equally as pertinent to their playoff run. One of those key role players was guard Landry Shamet who averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game off the bench for the Nets last season. This offseason the Nets traded Shamet to the Phoenix Suns for Jevon Carter and the 29th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (who ended up being Day’Ron Sharpe).
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Landy Shamet Inks Monster Extension With Phoenix Suns
Although the Nets are favored to win this year’s title, getting traded to the Suns may have been a blessing in disguise for Shamet. Phoenix just inked him to a major payday per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Phoenix Suns guard Landry Shamet has agreed to a four-year, $43 million rookie contract extension, his agent, George Langberg, told ESPN on Monday,” Wojnarowski writes per ESPN. “The extension delivers Shamet security on a long-term deal in his fourth stop in three-plus NBA seasons, affirming the Suns’ belief he will play a significant role for the defending Western Conference champions.”
According to Wojnarowski, Suns head coach Monty Williams is a huge fan of Shamet and his game. He was one of the biggest supporters of the trade that landed him with the Suns on the night of the NBA draft.
“Shamet arrived in a draft-night trade with the Brooklyn Nets, a deal of which Suns coach Monty Williams had been a huge proponent,” Wojnarowski continued. “Williams was an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018 when the Sixers drafted Shamet 24th overall.
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Deandre Ayton, Suns Unable To Agree on Extension
Shamet along with Suns starter Mikal Bridges were the two biggest names from the 2018 draft to be extended by Phoenix ahead of the October 18 deadline. One major player that was not extended is star center DeAndre Ayton who was an integral part of the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals last season. Ayton and the Suns were unable to agree on an extension. Now he will become a restricted free agent next summer. This will allow him to sign an offer sheet with another team and Phoenix will have to either agree to match it or let their star big man walk.
“Ayton, a key part of the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals, held firm on wanting a full, five-year, max contract — which would’ve been worth a guaranteed $172.5 million-plus possible escalators — but talks never progressed to the Suns making a formal offer on a max deal ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline,” Wojnarowski writes per ESPN.
“Phoenix now faces an uncertain future with Ayton. The franchise center is unhappy with the franchise’s consistent stance to his representatives that the organization simply didn’t foresee him as a max player — regardless of which of his peers in the 2018 NBA Draft class earned max deals this offseason.”
Phoenix came extremely close to winning the NBA Finals last season but fell short. There is a good chance that they can return to the big stage this summer in a possible matchup with the Nets.
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