According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the Portland Trail Blazers view Deandre Ayton as a top-five center in the NBA. The Blazers acquired Ayton from the Phoenix Suns in the three-team blockbuster Damian Lillard trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Blazers had discussed ways to acquire Ayton from the Suns before Lillard requested a trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Portland is looking forward to pairing Ayton with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
“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. “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.”
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.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
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. Phoenix lost to Denver in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Ayton, who has career 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, 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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