3 Deandre Ayton trades the Suns have to consider after Bradley Beal trade

The Phoenix Suns are expected to consider Deandre Ayton trades after acquiring Bradley Beal earlier in the week. 

The Phoenix Suns swung the first blockbuster trade of the summer last Sunday by acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. Now with an expensive core of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker, the general expectation is that the team will seek to move on from Deandre Ayton.

Ayton, a former No. 1 pick, signed a four-year extension worth $133 million last summer. While he has not publicly asked out, the relationship between Ayton and former head coach Monty Williams was notably strained for over a year. The 7-footer’s deplorable effort level in Phoenix’s second-round loss to the world-champion Nuggets became a major talking point.

Now Phoenix has a new coach and there are questions about Ayton’s fit under Frank Vogel, who traditionally shapes his defense around elite rim protectors. Ayton has all the physical tools to fulfill that role, but he’s not the defensive stalwart Vogel is accustomed to after coaching the likes of Anthony Davis and Roy Hibbert.

Ayton can absolutely fit as the fourth banana in Phoenix’s new-look starting five, but it feels like a fresh start is necessary to unlock his full potential. Plus, the Suns desperately need to fill out the depth chart and balance the books financially. Getting off of Ayton’s long-term money while potentially getting multiple rotation-level players in return is the dream.

Here are some trades that make sense both ways.

No. 3 Suns Deandre Ayton trade: Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic, James Wiseman

NBA insider Marc Stein recently suggested that Ayton could be traded for salary filler and no draft picks, which feels like the league overreacting to Ayton’s wonky fifth season (a season in which he averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds on 59.7 percent shooting).

The Pistons should be wary about taking on a big-money center after Jalen Duren’s success as a rookie, but Duren’s rookie contract will expire at the same time as Ayton’s current deal, so the team can maintain some long-term flexibility there.

In the meantime, Ayton was the No. 1 pick for a reason. He flashes tremendous offensive potential tied to his strength, footwork, and touch around the rim. Detroit has two talented playmakers who can set up Ayton around the rim. The Monty Williams reunion aspect might be untenable, but from a pure talent/value perspective, it’s at least worth thinking about.

The Suns get Bojan Bogdanovic, who can sit on the wing and bury 3s while defenses work themselves into knots trying to contain the Durant-Booker-Beal triumvirate. James Wiseman can theoretically offer some of that rim protection Vogel values, but the former No. 2 pick is still more theoretical than actual with his production at this point (although he did manage some eye-popping stat lines down the stretch for wayward Detroit).

Ayton’s value probably won’t get lower than this. If this is all it takes to pique the Suns’ interest, the Pistons can afford a wild swing on youth and talent. Ayton is 24 years old with the physique of a Greek god. The upside is still there.