The Portland Trail Blazers had discussed ways to acquire Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns before Damian Lillard requested a trade, according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Blazers traded Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and Jusuf Nurkic to the Suns and acquired Ayton.
“Before Lillard ever asked out, Portland had discussed ways to acquire Ayton, and so the Suns made a natural trade partner as a third team,” Wojnarowski wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic — it was a way for the Blazers to get a 25-year-old starting center, and the Suns a starter at half the salary who’d bring with him some role players.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton, Damian Lillard, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Ayton averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 58.9% from the field and 76.0% from the free-throw line. He recorded 36 double-doubles and helped Phoenix win 45 games.
However, Ayton’s level of play dropped in the 2023 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.
Ayton, who has career NBA averages of 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds, tried to leave the Suns last offseason by signing a four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers in restricted free agency. However, Phoenix matched Indiana’s offer sheet.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton, Damian Lillard, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Ayton was the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He now joins a Blazers team in rebuild mode. Ayton didn’t have a good relationship with former Suns head coach Monty Williams. It will be fascinating to see if Blazers coach Chauncey Billups can connect with Ayton.
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