3 teams that should try buying low with Deandre Ayton trade

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder knocked off the Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament and almost stole a playoff berth from the No. 10 seed. They have a wealth of young talent and a huge collection of draft picks over the next few seasons. For all the progress they’ve made in their rebuild, the roster is still very much a work in progress with Chet Holmgren set to debut this season and Aleksj Pokusevski coming back after missing most of this season.

Ayton might not be the perfect long-term big for this young roster but playing with Oklahoma City’s playmakers — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey — is probably a much more reliable recipe for success than going to a team where he’s asked to create a lot more offensive for himself.

Helping the Thunder reach their ceiling would still require him to commit at the defensive end and keep improving but he might be worth the gamble, especially if Oklahoma City could get him for something like the No. 12 pick, a protected future pick, Lu Dort, Poku and Kenrich Williams. That package could give the Suns enough short-term upgrades and long-term value, plus the chance to wipe their hands clean of Ayton, to close the deal.

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