Grayson Allen signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with the Phoenix Suns that includes a player option, his agents Mitch Nathan, Aaron Mintz, and Steven Heumann of CAA Sports announced Monday.

The deal keeps Allen out of unrestricted free agency this summer and rewards him after averaging career-high numbers with the Suns. His 3-point percentage (46.1%) led the NBA this season.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, the Suns hold ninth-shortest odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen has agreed on a four-year $70 million contract extension with a player option, Mitch Nathan, Aaron Mintz and Steven Heumann of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/RWX8VVsxGR

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2024

Additionally, Allen is in the final season of the two-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in October 2021. His current deal includes $2.55 million in total incentives. He’s making $8.5 million this season with Phoenix.

Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen led NBA in 3-point percentage, hit eight 3s in seven games this season

In 75 games (74 starts) this season, Allen averaged career highs of 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 33.5 minutes per game. The Duke product shot career bests of 49.9% from the floor and 46.1% from deep as well.

The 6-foot-4 guard finished fifth in effective field goal percentage (64.9%) and 21st in 3-pointers (205). Plus, he ranked second in true shooting percentage (67.9%) and seventh in offensive rating (129.9).

Furthermore, Allen made eight 3-pointers in seven games this season — the most in such games in Suns history and second only to Stephen Curry (eight) this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

His 205 3-pointers this season were tied for the second most in franchise history with Raja Bell in 2006-07, per the Basketball-Reference database. Only Quentin Richardson recorded more 3-pointers with 226 in 2004-05.

GRAYSON ALL3N 🎯

The best from behind the arc in the @NBA this season! pic.twitter.com/io6NvV2Xen

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 15, 2024

“The consistency of his 3-point shot making would be at the top of the list,” Suns coach Frank Vogel told The Arizona Republic in March when asked about what 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. … He’s a hell of a basketball player in so many different ways.”

Of course, Grayson Allen was traded to Phoenix as part of a three-team trade involving the Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers in September. In exchange, Milwaukee received Damian Lillard from Portland.

The sixth-seeded Suns will play the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

The first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs begins this Saturday, April 20.

The Hawks ended their regular season run with a 36-46 mark and were able to finally squeeze themselves into the Western Conference’s Play-in tournament, with a small chance to qualify to the NBA Playoffs if they are able to beat the Bulls who play with a homecourt advantage.

As Trae Young is almost back to being 100% healthy, his recovery stands as a light in hopes of overcoming a season filled with injuries. After playing the past three matches at the end of the regular campaign, he saw his minutes restricted due to his 23-game absence.

This upcoming Wednesday, as they enter the Play-in with a six-match losing streak, he’s expected to return back to his normal amount of minutes in this do-or-die clash in Chicago. Young averaged 25.7 points this year, but was only able to drop 14, 19 and 12 points in his last three contests.

In his first game back yesterday, Trae young scored 14pts and 11ast on 100% shooting.

He became the first player in NBA history to record a double double on 100% shooting. pic.twitter.com/f2jrEKkRob

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) April 11, 2024

“I feel a lot better,” Trae told the press after Monday’s training session. The player seemed more confident after being given 32 minutes on the court, despite losing 157-115 to the Pacers the night before and only posting 12 points and 11 assists. “I’m just trying to make sure I can play at least close to my minutes that I played in the regular season in play-in games.”

Atlanta will be without two other key players from their frontcourt, as both big man Onyeka Okongwu and young forward Jalen Johnson are out for this Play-in matchup. As if it wasn’t enough, the team had already lost Saddiq Bey to a season-ending knee injury.

“That’s just something, as I’ve said, really, it’s no different than throughout the course of the year,” expressed coach Quin Snyder. “The guys that you do have, they have to be ready to go and have to play at a high level, and you can’t lament those things. So we’ll be ready.”

One of the players who will be missed the most is Johnson, who produced averages of 16 points and 8.7 rebounds, and will be out of action for at least three weeks with a right ankle sprain. “Obviously you just play the cards you’re dealt,” Young shared. “That’s just my mentality. You know I feel like we can still win with the players we have, so I’m going to go out there and try to do it.”

The Bulls locker room hope they can overcome this Play-in clash after a year fulls of “ups and downs”

Now the Chicago team have the chance to make something out of their inconsistent season and make it to the Playoffs. After losing last night to the Knicks in overtime, the Bulls finished 9th and will face the Hawks with homecourt advantage in the Play-in tournament.

Despite the ups and downs, their coach is proud of the team. “I told the guys I couldn’t be prouder or feel more privileged to work with these guys every day,” Billy Donovan said. “And the reason I say that is because of things they’ve had to endure this season as a team.”

DeMar DeRozan, on the other hand, says the locker room bonded throughout the season after their bad results. “To be honest, we had some lows that, for me, means the most,” he said after becoming only the second player over 30 years of age to ever lead the league in minutes.

“I ain’t gonna give it away of when, but there was a time it got extremely rough for my part,” the veteran expressed. “The bond and the closeness we had after that meant a lot. So even though it was an extremely bad moment, it meant a lot for us to change over the season.”

After going through a whirlwind of emotions, ever since she competed for the NCAA Tournament title run for Iowa during this past month, Caitlin Clark finally made it to the WNBA Draft. As she became the No. 1 pick selected by the Indiana Fever, the rising star confessed she was feeling a little nervous despite there was no real surprise. 

“I dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to soak it in,” she revealed during the ceremony.

The former Hawkeyes guard became one of the greatest ever athletes in women’s college basketball and a household name among fans from all over. Following her record-breaking career, she hopes to give life back to the Indiana franchise alongside last year’s No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, who once played with Clark on a USA Basketball Under-19 squad.

Caitlin Clark last night:

– Number 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
– First ever athlete to wear Prada during draft night.
-Sold out all sizes of her jersey.

WILD 😨🔥 pic.twitter.com/8d2SNS9Wbw

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) April 16, 2024

“Obviously going to an organization that has, in my eyes, one of the best post players in the entire world,” Clark told the press. “My point guard eyes just light up at that. And obviously, Aliyah has been one of my teammates before. I’m excited. I can’t wait.”

The 22-year-old hasn’t just been resting after losing to South Carolina at the end of March Madness, as she first made her way to California to be honoured with the John R. Wooden Award and then flew to New York for a short appearance on Saturday Night Live.

“I think obviously the course of the last few weeks has been pretty insane in my life, the last two months playing basketball as long as I possibly could in my college career,” Caitlin expressed. “I think the biggest thing is I’m just very lucky to be in this moment, and all these opportunities and these things, they’re once in a lifetime.”

Clark became the first ever NBA or WNBA star to ever wear Prada to the ceremony, as he dressed in a white jacket and shirt. As soon as she was drafted, she proceeded to hug her family and then share a moment with Iowa coach Lisa Blunder. The WNBA Draft took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of at least 1,000 fans.

Cameron Brink was drafted at No. 2 by Los Angeles as she just became the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year

Los Angeles finally drafted Cameron Brink as the No. 2 pick, and will be given the Stanford star a two-way player contract. “When they called my name, a huge wave of emotions hit me,” said the new Sparks athlete. “I saw my mom tearing up and my dad and it hit home.”

Brink was given this season’s Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, but she is also a prolific scorer. After the L.A. team saw Nneka Ogwumike leave for Seattle in free agency, they open their arms to Brink so she can hopefully became a future franchise player.

Brink’s godmother is none other than Sonya Curry, the mother of Warriors star Stephen Curry. “I FaceTimed Steph five minutes before the show started and he said have fun with it,” Cameron shared. “He can share so much great advice since he’s been through this. Make stuff like this fun as it can be stressed.”

While Dallas took guard Jay Sheldon with the fifth pick, Washington selected Aaliyah Edward of UConn as No. 6, following Chicago’s pick of Angel Reese at seventh. “She’s a great player and I’m a great player. Nobody’s going to get no rebounds on us,” said Camila Cardoso, her new teammate in Illinois.