3 Deandre Ayton trades the Suns would have to consider
By Ian Levy
2. Trade Deandre Ayton to the New York Knicks
The Knicks have reportedly been chomping at the big for Karl-Anthony Towns trade and while Ayton is a very different kind of big man, it seems likely they’d be similarly interested. Ayton is not the cleanest fit next to Julius Randle but Randle likely holds no interest for the Suns. Still, the Knicks may see in Ayton a reasonable defensive anchor and a player with untapped offensive potential who could thrive alongside Jalen Brunson if given more primacy.
For the Knicks, there is also the upside of paying a far more reasonable price than they would likely have to pay to get Towns.
This may not be enough to get the deal down but they could conceivably get by just sending out Mitchell Robinson, Evan Fournier’s salary, Obi Toppin and the Wizards’ 2024 first-round pick. They would still have three picks in next year’s draft, would expect an upgrade in two-way production at center and really only sacrificing Toppin whose ceiling looks far more like a solid rotation player than a future star at this point.
For the Suns, this may also not be the most inspiring package but it probably solves a lot more problems than just trading Ayton for Poole, straight-up. Robinson is a solid defensive replacement for Ayton and both he and Toppin (especially Toppin) could potentially have a lot more to offer on offensive playing with and off of Booker and Durant. The Wizards’ pick is probably near the middle of the first round or late-lottery at best, but it helps recoup some of the picks they had to send out to acquire Durant. This deal also gives them the freedom to make the Chris Paul maneuvering just about a point guard replacement and added depth.