Pacers signing Deandre Ayton to an offer sheet?

John Gambadoro: I do believe we are close to a resolution on Deandre Ayton maybe even by tomorrow. Indiana has the cap space and I’ve heard rumblings of them signing him to an offer sheet. I’ve also heard Toronto has some interest but I do not know at what level.
Source: Twitter

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

James Plowright @British_Buzz
Feels as though a likely path for this off-season will be Ayton ending up in Indy, they the Pacers looking to move Turner. – 5:20 AM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
I’m case we’re heading toward sign-and-trade territory with the Raptors or Pacers, I whipped up some Deandre Ayton scenarios a while back: bit.ly/3GsnHe1 – 12:00 AM

Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
GAME THEORY PODCAST: @AndrewKSchlecht is here! We dive deep on the Chet Debut
Then a deeper dive on the Rudy to MIN deal, on why I like Kyrie to LA, and what in the world is happening with Deandre Ayton.
APPLE: https://t.co/hIOdTGnsom
WATCH: https://t.co/z3WHm1DVRQ pic.twitter.com/5901CdSSDo – 7:56 PM

Ryan McDonald @ryanwmcdonald
Are the Utah Jazz interested in trading for Deandre Ayton? https://t.co/tFxVVY6CTD pic.twitter.com/cGY8IvN1Pm – 6:15 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Here’s where Kevin Durant, Deandre Ayton, Phoenix #Suns and Brooklyn #Nets chatter stands right now (w/videos) #NBAFreeAgency azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 5:55 PM

Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
The 10 highest volume pick and roll roll men, ranked by points per possession generated in that action last season (per Synergy)
Gobert: 1.320 PPP
Ayton: 1.249
Embiid: 1.241
Towns: 1.201
Nurkic: 1.187
Poeltl: 1.157
Valanciunas: 1.096
Jokic: 1.067
Carter Jr.: 1.062
Vucevic: 0.942 – 2:27 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Ayton contract offers reportedly hung up by Durant trade negotiations nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/06/ayt… – 2:20 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
According to our good friends @betonline_ag:
Chet Holmgren defensive player of the year odds: 50/1. He ranks 19th, ahead of Dejounte Murray, DeAndre Ayton, and Jimmy Butler. – 12:08 PM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
📅 On this day in 2021, the @Phoenix Suns Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 19 rebounds in a win over the Bucks in Game 1 of the Finals.
Ayton, who was 8-10 from the field, is one of only four players in NBA history to record at least 20p/15r and shoot 80% from the field in a Finals game. pic.twitter.com/msTg8QGFoX – 12:01 PM

Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
Stepping inside the Kevin Durant-Deandre Ayton offseason vortex @BR_NBA: bleacherreport.com/articles/10041… – 10:42 AM

More on this storyline

While Deandre Ayton has been viewed as a potential trade chip in Kevin Durant talks, the restricted free-agent center has reportedly been exploring his options elsewhere. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (44:50 mark) that Ayton has taken meetings with teams that “are not involved in potential Durant negotiations.” It’s unclear whether any of those teams have made formal contract offers. -via Bleacher Report / July 7, 2022

The Raptors are the most obvious team fitting that description. For Toronto to land Ayton, the Raptors would need to sacrifice valuable players or picks in a sign-and-trade that could be used for Durant instead. Of important note regarding Toronto: Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation say the Raptors are unwilling to part with reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. -via Bleacher Report / July 6, 2022

Westbrook is also set to make $47 million in 2022-23, roughly $11 million more than Irving. This exercise is not apples to apples, but if Brooklyn essentially replaced Irving’s contract with Westbrook’s, the Nets would suffer over $50 million in tax penalties, according to salary projections provided to B/R. As league personnel descend upon Las Vegas for the NBA’s Summer League this week, the Durant, Irving and Ayton situations all appear destined to hang over the annual event for the foreseeable future. -via Bleacher Report / July 6, 2022