The Suns have agreed to a three-year veteran contract extension worth $29MM with third-year center Very Ighodaroaccording to ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter). The deal is fully guaranteed, Kelly Iko reports for Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
As part of the agreement, the team is picking up its $2.5MM team option on the 24-year-old for the 2027/28 season, meaning his extension will begin in ’28/29 and run through the ’30/2031 season, Charania adds (Twitter link).
As the Suns continue to look for answers at the center spot, Ighodaro has established himself as a solid, versatile defender and an efficient scorer and decision-maker. He averaged 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 22.0 minutes per game last season, including 24 starts, while shooting 65.3% from the field, though he is a career 49.1% free-throw shooter.
Ighodaro started all four of Phoenix’s playoff games last year and averaged 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 32.3 minutes per game.
With Mark Williams expected to miss a significant portion of the season following shoulder surgery, Ighodaro is expected to command a major role in the Suns’ frontcourt alongside promising second-year center Khaman Maluach. Ighodaro and Maluach have been battling this month for the starting job.
We identified Ighodaro last week as an under-the-radar veteran extension candidate to watch, citing contracts recently signed by big men Day’Ron Sharpe ($10MM per year), Zach Collins ($8.5MM), and Jaxson Hayes ($6M) as potential comparables. Ighodaro will make just below $10MM annually on his new deal — taking into account his 2027/28 option, he’ll earn roughly $31.5MM over the course of the four seasons after this one, which works out to about $7.9MM per year.
Ighodaro is the fifth member of Phoenix’s 2025/26 rotation to sign a multiyear contract with the team this offseason. Forward Dillon Brooks inked a three-year, $73MM extension, while guard Collin Gillespie (four years, $48MM), Williams (three years, $38MM), and Jordan Goodwin (three years, $19MM) all re-signed with Phoenix in free agency.