Suns' Deandre Ayton Trade Rumor: Mavs Deal Without Draft Pick?
On the eve of the 2023 NBA draft, the Dallas Mavericks' decision with the No. 10 pick is one of the biggest question marks ahead of Thursday night. But that isn't the only thing that's on the minds of the Mavs’ front office this summer.
On Tuesday, NBA insider Marc Stein appeared on "The Ben and Skin Show" to discuss the Mavericks' offseason plans, including Kyrie Irving's free agency, the NBA draft, and trade rumors, which included Suns center Deandre Ayton.
"That's something you got to keep an eye on -- does Ayton become available for just two contracts or three contracts with no draft compensation needed," Stein said. "And if I'm the Mavs, I at least have to look at that."
Stein is right — Dallas absolutely has to look into that kind of deal for Ayton. Phoenix is in desperate need for depth following the acquisition of Bradley Beal, and if a number of role players is all you need to acquire Ayton, that's a conversation that must be had internally if you're the Mavs no matter how overpriced his contract might be.
On Dallas' end, matching Ayton's $32.4 million salary could be done by sending Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, and JaVale McGee to Phoenix.
On the flip side, though, is that depleting the Mavericks' depth too much? That could be up for debate, but Jaden Hardy could step into the sixth-man role left behind by Hardaway Jr., and Dallas could find veterans on the open market to replace the roles left behind by Bullock and McGee if they don’t think the No. 10 pick will be capable of making an immediate impact.
"If you can think about getting Ayton without giving up a first, I would think you would at least want to consider that," Stein said.
Though the perception of Ayton may not be what it once was, he's still only 24-years old, and with a change of scenery and playing alongside Luka Doncic, he may just be able to reach his ceiling as Dallas' new anchor.
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