One of the storylines that people are going to be keeping a close eye on is what happens with Deandre Ayton. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is heading into restricted free agency after a rookie extension was unable to be agreed upon before the deadline between him and the Phoenix Suns.
Last offseason, Ayton was adamant that he wouldn’t sign for anything less than the max. Ownership didn’t believe he was worth that much, so they were at a stalemate. No deal was reached and it sounds as if neither side has budged from those stances.
As a result, it seems more likely than not that Ayton will leave the Suns this offseason. As shared by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN during an appearance on ESPN NBA Today, both sides are ready to move on.
“It’s clear I think both sides I think are ready to move on, especially if it’s going to be at a max number,” Wojnarowski said.
Ayton played very well again during the 2021-22 season, building off of the incredible performance he had during the 2021 NBA Postseason when the Suns advanced to the NBA Finals. While they failed to advance that far this year, getting eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, Ayton still played at a high level.
LATEST NBA FREE AGENCY NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: 3 Best Landing Spots For Phoenix Suns Star Deandre Ayton After 2022 NBA Draft
He averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks in 29.5 minutes per game. He is an efficient scorer, making 63.4 percent of his shots with the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers with regularity. If he can expand to the 3-point line, he will be even more dangerous offensively.
According to Wojnarowski, any deal that is made involving Ayton will likely be of the sign-and-trade variety.
“Most teams around the league, and those who would like to acquire Deandre Ayton, expect that this is going to end up in a sign-and-trade scenario. The Suns have been reluctant to offer a full max deal. They allowed Ayton to get into restricted free agency. In the end, they can find a deal somewhere and get some assets back for Ayton. There’s max money in the marketplace for Deandre Ayton.”
LATEST NBA FREE AGENCY NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: 3 Best Landing Spots For Phoenix Suns Star Deandre Ayton After 2022 NBA Draft
The Indiana Pacers, who have Myles Turner, have been mentioned as a possible destination. The Atlanta Hawks, who just acquired Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs, have also been linked to Ayton in a deal involving John Collins.
There are likely other teams that will get involved in the Ayton sweepstakes. While we don’t know where he will end up right now, one thing we know for sure is that he will be on the move at some point this offseason.
