NEW YORK— How much longer can Arizona’s besieged basketball program absorb damage before administrators at the Pac-12 school realize they are fighting a losing battle?

Federal prosecutors played an intercepted phone call for the jury in the corruption and bribery trial in which former Arizona associate head coach Book Richardson told aspiring agent Christian Dawkins that

head coach Sean Miller was paying star center Deandre Ayton $10,000 per month while he was enrolled at the school for a year.

The call, which was intercepted by wiretap June 20, 2017, was the bombshell ending to the prosecution’s case.

Dawkins and Richardson were discussing how to recruit Ayton as a client to Dawkins’ start up sports management company. While talking about Ayton, Richardson told Dawkins, “Sean’s got to get the f.. . . k out of the way and let us work.’’

“We’ll see how Sean plays it out,’’ Dawkins said.

“You know what he brought per month?’’ Dawkins asked.

“What did he do?” Dawkins asked.

“I told you—10,’’ Richardson answered.

“He’s putting up some real money for them,’’ Dawkins said. “He told me he’s getting killed.’’

“But that’s his fault,’’ Richardson said.

During the same call, Richardson and Dawkins discussed how much Richardson would be paid each month by, LOYD Inc., Dawkins new sports management agency.

“You already know Sean is taking care of Rawle (Alkins) and them,’’ Dawkins said.

Last in the Wednesday, Dawkins was called to testify in his own defense and said he didn’t see anything wrong with paying college athletes.

“They are the only kids in college who can’t get paid legally,’’ Dawkins said. “There is a need for them to get paid. . .I don’t think anything that’s been discussed in either case is a crime.’’

Right about now, the NCAA’s ears should be burning and investigators should think about visiting campus.

Dawkins testified his company was already getting Alkins as a client and that Ayton was already being paid by other parties. “Deandre Ayton is going to get way more than $5,000,’’ Dawkins said. “That’s not even in the ball park of what’s he’s going to get.’’

Ayton was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the first pick overall in the 2018 NBA draft.