One NBA writer is proposing that the Portland Trail Blazers acquire Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns and Kyle Lowry from the Miami Heat in a blockbuster deal. Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World proposed the following trade idea between the Indiana Pacers, Blazers, Suns and Heat:
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Deandre Ayton, Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, 2024 First-Round Pick Pacers (Thunder, Clippers, Rockets or Jazz), 2027 Heat First-Round Pick, 2028 Heat First-Round Pick
Indiana Pacers Receive: Tyler Herro, Ish Wainright
Phoenix Suns Receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Caleb Martin, T.J. McConnell
Miami Heat Receive: Damian Lillard, Buddy Hield
Ayton averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season while shooting 58.9% from the field and 76.0% from the free-throw line. He recorded 36 double-doubles.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton, Kyle Lowry, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
However, Ayton’s level of play dropped in the 2023 NBA playoffs. The center averaged 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 10 games versus the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets. Ayton put up 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in the Nuggets series and didn’t register a positive plus-minus rating in any game.
The Suns lost to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games. Ayton didn’t play in Game 6 due to a rib contusion he suffered in Game 5.
Lowry is due $29.7 million next season in the final year of the three-year, $85 million deal he signed with the Heat in 2021. The Heat would like to trade Lowry in a package for Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard, but Portland and Miami haven’t made any progress on a Lillard trade.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton, Kyle Lowry, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
A six-time All-Star, Lowry averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 2022-23. The 37-year-old put up 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the 2023 playoffs against the Bucks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. The Heat lost to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals in five games.
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