Deandre Ayton was watching from the bench as the Phoenix Suns’ season came to an end. A quick trade might be the best resolution for everyone involved.
By matching his offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers last summer, the Suns retained Deandre Ayton and at least tried to mend some fences. In retrospect, they may have just delayed the inevitable.
Signing with the Pacers made clear that Ayton wanted out but the Suns couldn’t lose him for nothing. They matched and then did their best to make it work this year, giving him a slightly larger offensive load and trying to demonstrate trust. But his teammates were reportedly frustrated with his inconsistency and effort and he missed Game 6 with a rib injury.
It seems clear it’s time for them to trade Ayton but every other team in the league sees the situation as well and they’ll have the leverage to keep the price reasonable. That means the Suns may have to settle for a less-than-thrilling package, just to recoup some value.
These three teams should definitely be trying to buy low on Deandre Ayton:
3. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are reportedly interested in re-signing Kyrie Irving but it’s not clear if he’ll want to come back. The Suns were also linked with Irving in February trade rumors and with new reports that they’ll shop Chris Paul this summer, both teams could solve a lot of problems for each other.
A sign-and-trade that sends Irving and JaVale McGee to Phoenix with Paul and Ayton going back to Dallas could make both teams better.
This is a bigger risk for Phoenix, requiring some sort of long-term commitment to Irving, him smoothing out any remaining animosity with Kevin Durant and then being willing to work into a roster that has two other perimeter scoring options who should clearly carry a larger load than him. But it sheds two problems, gives them a fresh start at point guard and perhaps the best perimeter scoring trio we’ve ever seen.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks save some face from the original Irving trade, get Paul as a stabilizing presence in the backcourt and get a 24-year-old big man with upside who can help at both ends of the floor.
2. Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard has made clear he prefers the Trail Blazers to trade their picks for immediate help. And while Deandre Ayton might not be exactly what he has in mind, this could out well for both sides.
The Trail Blazers could arrange a side-and-trade with either Matisse Thybulle or Cam Reddish and roll them into a deal with Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little and either or both of their first-round picks this year, depending of course on where they land in the lottery. The Suns would get a decent defensive presence to replace Ayton, some added wing depth and a chance to refill their war chest of draft picks after the Durant deal. They could then try to spin off Chris Paul in a separate deal for a point guard replacement.
Ayton would be a huge upgrade over Nurkic, even if he’s not quite as solid a defensive anchor. But Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Lillard, a re-signed Jerami Grant and Shaedon Sharpe feels like a competitive starting lineup to chase a playoff spot with.
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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