After a career-best regular season, the Phoenix Suns have resigned guard Grayson Allen to a new four-year $70 million contract. Allen averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and three assists a game this year on a league-high 46.1% three-point shooting. The extension comes only days before the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Allen began his career at Duke, where he followed in the footsteps of Christian Laettner and JJ Redick as one of the most well-known but most hated players in the country. The Utah Jazz took him with the 21st pick in the 2018 Draft, but he only played 38 games with the team before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Allen played two years in Memphis, averaging 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 88 regular-season games in the 2019-20 and 20-21 seasons.

Allen then joined the Bucks, who had just come off a championship-winning season, where he played for two more years with similar averages as in Memphis. Over the latest offseason, Milwaukee traded for Damian Lillard, which saw Allen be moved to Phoenix, where he has put up career numbers leading to the extension.

Allen was set to be an unrestricted free agent going into the summer. Still, he was interested in returning to the Suns’ team, which featured Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. With the signing, Phoenix will now be heavily in the luxury tax, which could lead to the highest payroll in the league next year. Durant, Booker and Beal are all set to make $50 million in 2024-25, and with Allen’s extension and filling out the rest of their roster, Suns owner Mat Ishbia will be expected to pay at least $104 million in luxury tax.

Phoenix is currently on pace to exceed the league’s “second apron” of the luxury tax by $16 million next year. If that remains the case, they would lose the ability to send cash in trade deals and use trade exceptions, and their 2032 first-round pick would be frozen and unable to be traded.

They have their stars locked down, but even spending $70 million on a role player like Allen could prove fatal if the Suns don’t see playoff success in the next few years. Though seen in a limited position for most of his career, Allen was the only player besides Stephen Curry to make at least eight three-pointers in seven games this year. His 205 made three-pointers were also tied for the second-most in franchise history, behind only Quinten Richardson‘s 2005 mark of 226.

For now, the Suns enter the first round as a No. 6 seed playing against the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, where they will desperately need Allen’s three-point shooting. As built now, Phoenix is a very top-heavy team, but to win multiple rounds in the playoffs, they will need players like Allen to step up and show why he deserves his new contract.

The NBA Sunday suspended Milwaukee’s Grayson Allen for one game for Friday’s flagrant 2 foul on Alex Caruso that fractured the wrist of the Chicago guard.

Allen, who was ejected from the Bucks’ 94-90 victory over the Bulls after receiving the foul, was suspended for what was deemed “unnecessary and excessive contact.”

He’ll serve the suspension during the Bucks’ game against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. The team seems to think it’s much ado about nothing.

“We disagree with the suspension,” the team said in a statement. “We support Grayson and look forward to him rejoining our team for Friday’s game vs. New York.”

Caruso is scheduled to have wrist surgery that will sideline him for six to eight weeks.

“Nothing is changing from what happened the other night to where we are now, and the best thing we can do as a team is just move on,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “That’s really the only thing we have control over. I feel bad for Alex that he’s going to be out this long more so than anything else.”

It was only the second time in his pro career that Allen, in his first season with the Bucks, had been called for a flagrant foul—the other being in a 2019 Summer League game.

The missed game will cost Allen a $27,963 check.

NBA rookies are bound to get rough with each other in their first year in the league, as they try to adjust to playing on the big courts.

Trae Young, Grayson Allen Fight In Summer League

Trae Young and Grayson Allen got caught up in a brief scuffle at an NBA Summer League game in Salt Lake City on Thursday night. While playing defense for the Utah Jazz in the third quarter, guard Allen — this year’s No. 21 overall pick out of Duke — pushed into Young, the Atlanta Hawks‘ fifth overall pick out of Oklahoma, and the two became tangled up. After Young shoved back, players from both teams rushed over to the pair, as did the referee, thus avoiding an all-out brawl.

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Allen and Young both drew technical fouls. After the game, Young noted how Allen had garnered a reputation as an overly aggressive player during his time at Duke. Allen was known for tripping players or committing other egregious fouls and then throwing tantrums on the sideline when he received fouls.

“That’s not the first time Grayson has gotten tangled up with someone, but it’s not the first time and last time I’m going to get tangled up with someone,” Young said, according to Newsweek. “It’s going to happen. This is the NBA. It’s going to be a physical game. Grayson is a physical player. I’m a physical player.”

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The Jazz beat the Hawks 92-87 in Thursday’s game. Allen finished with nine points, eight assists and six rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Young logged 10 points, seven assists and four rebounds as well as one steal in 30 minutes.

Utah have won two of their three Summer League games thus far, while Atlanta have lost all three of their contests.

It remains to be seen whether Allen will continue his aggressive behavior or not once the NBA season actually starts.

Young ended up with the Hawks after a trade with Dallas in the draft that saw Euroleague Slovenian guard Luka Doncic land with the Mavericks.

Grayson Allen has gained a reputation for being somewhat of a dirty player, and now the Duke guard has again gotten confrontational with an opponent.

Watch: Duke’s Grasyon Allen Shoves NC State Player In Blue Devils’ 84-82 Loss

As Allen began walking to his team’s bench in the first half of the Blue Devils’ 84-82 home loss to NC State, he and the Wolfpack’s Terry Henderson got tangled up, and Allen seemed to push Henderson.

At first, it seems as though Allen simply walked straight through the Wolfpack’s huddle when a timeout was called.

However, upon taking a closer look, it seems rather obvious that the Duke guard planned to bump into Henderson, who responded by pushing Allen back as another teammate backed him up.

Allen has previously been criticized by opposing teams’ players and coaches, as well as announcers, for tripping opponents or engaging in other types of overly-aggressive and illegal play.

Led by freshman sensation Dennis Smith Jr., NC State used a late 20-5 run to defeat the No. 17 Blue Devils on Monday. Duke led 68-59 late in the contest, but Smith Jr.’s game-high 32 points and six assists ignited his team’s fervent rally as the Blue Devil offense went silent.

“It’s very disappointing for us. We had some opportunities there, but we didn’t capitalize on them,” Duke interim coach Jeff Capel said. “We couldn’t make a shot in the second half, got some good looks—we have to finish those—and then down the stretch couldn’t come up with a stop. Give them credit, they were terrific and we have to keep working to get better.”

The Blue Devils shot just 2 of 14 from long range after halftime– including six 3-point misses in the final 4:38– in taking their first home loss of the season. Duke trimmed the lead to two with 39.9 seconds left and one with 6.4 seconds left, helped by an NC State (14-7, 3-6 in the ACC) turnover and five Wolfpack missed free throws, but fell short in their third loss in four games.

The win marked NC State’s first at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995.

Luke Kennard led four Duke players in double figures with 20 points.

Duke (15-5, 3-4 in the ACC) will seek to bounce back from another disappointing loss when they take on Wake Forest next Saturday afternoon.

NC State, meanwhile, will visit the Louisville Cardinals on Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4m-QAwH30E

DURHAM, NC – JANUARY 23: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives between Maverick Rowan #24 and Ted Kapita #23 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 23, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

ESPN’s analysts heavily criticized Grayson Allen after the junior Duke guard blatantly tripped an opponent during the Blue Devils’ game against Elon on Wednesday.

ESPN’s Jay Williams Rips ‘Spoiled’ Grasyon Allen After Duke Guard Trips Elon Player

Late in the first half, Allen tripped Elon Phoenix guard Steven Santa Ana on the right baseline, leading the All-American Duke star to be called for a technical foul. Allen clearly wasn’t happened, and threw a tantrum on the sideline shortly afterwards.

Allen tripped two ACC opponents last season and was reprimanded by the league.

Speaking at halftime of the Louisville-Kentucky game, the ESPN college basketball trio of Rece Davis, Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg called for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to take action against Allen for his trip. Williams, a former Duke star, lambasted Allen the hardest, demanding a five-game suspension for the guard.

“Enough already,” said Williams. “I’m disappointed that (Allen) even played in the second half. He should be suspended for five games. The ACC should take immediate action. But I hope that Coach K would take action before the ACC. Because (Allen’s) a junior. No more gifts. We’re done with that. He deserves to sit. He’s showing who his character is, and that’s unfortunate.”

Greenberg, a former Virginia Tech coach, said Krzyzewski– nicknamed ‘Coach K’– needs to “make a statement” and suspend Allen.

Davis compared Allen’s behavior to that of an angry child.

“He acts like a petulant toddler that can’t control his emotions when he gets angry,” said Davis.

Williams slammed the guard in a similar way, calling him a “spoiled child” who should have shown “remorse” for his actions and apologized to Santa Ana.

If he is suspended by the league, Allen will miss Duke’s Dec. 31 ACC opener at Virginia Tech.

Allen was tearful in the locker room after the game.

“I made a really bad play. I’m sorry to Santa Ana, sorry to the officials who have to call that, sorry to the team because it’s selfish and taking away from them,” he said. “I’m not proud of it at all.”

Krzyzewski also commented on the incident, which sparked an Elon 11-2 run to end the first half.

“What Grayson did was unacceptable, but I thought our whole team lost their composure,” Krzyzewski said. “Grayson apologized [to Santa Ana], and he should. That’s not something you should do, and he got punished. Turned the game around.”

The coach also discussed public criticism and potential disciplinary action.

“I handle things the way I handle them, and I think I’ve handled this correctly… I don’t need to satisfy what other people think that I should do. I’m a teacher and a coach and I’m responsible for that kid,” Krzyzewski said post-game. “What he did tonight was right. That’s what people do. They say they’re sorry. They accept responsibility. Anybody else that wants to take shots about Duke or me or whatever, go for it, because that’s territory that I’m comfortable with.”

LOUISVILLE, KY – FEBRUARY 20:  Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball during the game against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC YUM! Center on February 20, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.  (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Grayson Allen was faced with two options this spring: enter the NBA Draft in the hopes of being a first-round pick, or remain at Duke and potentially become the most hated Blue Devil of all time.

Grayson Allen Staying At Duke

The 20-year-old guard chose to return with the Blue Devils for his junior season, Duke announced Wednesday.

After busting out during Duke’s national championship victory as a freshman last year, Allen emerged this past season as a tremendous player. However, he also gained a reputation as a pusher, a shover, a flopper and a tripper. As if many college basketball fans didn’t already hate Duke, Allen added even more hatred and fuel to the fire.

Allen will surely soon become a highly recognizable and unforgettable face in college basketball, and be as hated as other notable former Blue Devils like Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner and J.J. Redick. Ferry, Laettner and Redick each played four seasons, increasing in productivity each year.

Allen knows he is hated, too. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, nicknamed “Coach K,” even calls him an a–hole in practice, although this may be just a playful term, and Allen seems to be fine with it.

“With Duke, there’s about just as much hate as there is love, and I think that’s going to come with it,” Allen told USA Today Sports in November. “I think the aggressive and loud way that I played in the championship game is kind of polarizing; you either love it or you hate it. That’s going to come with it and I don’t really mind it.”

Some people even think that although Allen hasn’t explicitly said it, he enjoys the hatred, and that he is just using it as fuel at this point to drive his success. Redick explicitly stated it in a recent interview.

“I enjoyed it. In a very sick way, I enjoyed it,” Redick told GQ in February about the jeers he got. “It’s funny because I am like a self-motivated person. So I already feel like I’ve got some fire to me and that would just pour more lighter fluid on the fire.”

Allen appears to have several attributes for which he can be hated: he’s the white kid from a private school, a national champion, and a dirty player. Above all, he’s the player who basks in all of this with a smug smile, knowing he’s unstoppable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u08ZkNvOTS8&nohtml5=False

LOUISVILLE, KY – FEBRUARY 20:  Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball during the game against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC YUM! Center on February 20, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.  (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)