Report: Raptors Among Multiple Teams 'Mentioned as Potential (Deandre) Ayton Suitors'

It's not hard to see why the Toronto Raptors keep coming up in rumors whenever big-name centers hit the open market.

On paper, the Raptors have a desperate need for the kind of size players like Deandre Ayton can provide. Last season their tallest player was 6-foot-9 and, as Raptors coach Nick Nurse acknowledged, a little more rim protection and size as a lob threat wouldn't hurt. Yet, despite reports that Toronto has been mentioned as a team to watch in the Ayton sweepstakes, most recently from Substack's Marc Stein, it's extremely unlike the Raptors strike a deal with the Phoenix Suns to pry Ayton loose.

"San Antonio, Toronto, Portland, Detroit and Atlanta have all been mentioned as potential Ayton suitors. There are bound to be more if the Suns are indeed ready to move on and Ayton is truly gettable." (via @TheSteinLine)

Source: https://t.co/VY75GjYrKB pic.twitter.com/upBkQgx3Rl
— The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) June 13, 2022

For one, a deal for Ayton would require Toronto to part with one of its core players, a move Raptors president Masai Ujiri has repeatedly said he does not want to make this summer. He said he'd prefer to be patient with Toronto's young group, running things back and letting the team develop before making changes down the road.

Secondly, a sign-and-trade for Ayton is extremely complicated due to the nitty-gritty details of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, specifically the Base Year Compensation rule. Essentially, the CBA makes it very difficult to work out a sign-and-trade for players like Ayton due to salary issues.

If Ayton does move on from Phoenix this summer, expect him to head somewhere with more salary cap flexibility than Toronto and a little more wiggle room to get a deal done.

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