Is Deandre Ayton on the Trade Block This Season?
The rollercoaster relationship between the Phoenix Suns and Deandre Ayton has been must-see television since the center was first draft at No. 1 overall a few years ago.
Fast-forward to present day, where a struggle was ultimately met with a compromise when negotiating a new deal for Ayton thanks to the Indiana Pacers submitting an offer sheet during his restricted free agency.
The relationship apparently took a turn for the worse when Ayton was benched during the Dallas Mavericks' Game 7 blowout win against Phoenix last postseason. Head coach Monty Williams spoke a few weeks ago and cleared the air.
Monty Williams on Deandre Ayton
"It's never personal, and I think DA said it best when he did an interview. Our relationship is calm. I've invested a lot of time into the player and the person. When I do something like that, it's because I want what's best for you. But I also have to try my best to hold everybody accountable at the same time. There are times when I wish could have handled things a little bit differently. I will take it myself," said Williams.
"But our relationship, I don't know where all that stuff is coming from. I have a great relationship with all of our guys. I think I've built up enough equity with every player on our team. They know how much I care about them and how much I love them. But I also have to coach them."
Ayton also dished on his short time in free agency:
Deandre Ayton on Free Agency
"The shift in free agency brought a lot of uncertainty through the whole process," Ayton said. "I got to give a lot of respect to the Pacers organization. They were aggressive from the start and showing a lot of love. And we agreed to a max offer sheet. The Suns matched. Now, I'm back in Phoenix as a Sun," said Ayton.
"I'm happy. The process is over. I put all this behind me and focus on chasing a championship this upcoming season with my brothers."
For now, the relationship appears to be mended.
However, Bleacher Report believes Ayton is one of a handful of starts that are still most likely to be on the trade block.
Bleacher Report Believes Ayton Likely Still on Trade Block
"Just because Ayton is back in Phoenix on a new four-year, $132.9 million deal doesn't mean his future with the Suns is safe," said B/R.
"Phoenix simply matched the offer sheet the Indiana Pacers signed Ayton to, which was the obvious choice at the time. If there's any animosity between the two sides, Ayton is eligible to be traded on January 15th, but can veto any trade until July 15th. He also cannot be traded to the Pacers until that time.
"Teams like the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets would all be intriguing fits."
So, is Ayton really still on the verge of being traded?
Let's not pretend like the Suns didn't try their best to offload him dating back to last year's trade deadline. Phoenix was heavily involved in talks with Indiana before a deal fell apart.
If Brooklyn were interested in gaining Ayton, we may not be having this conversation right now.
However, if's don't pay the bills.
The reality is Ayton received his coveted paycheck, and next on the list is getting a championship. Realistically, what better team can provide both of those aside from the Suns?
That plays into Ayton also having full control of his destination for a full season with veto powers. Indiana also can't acquire him during that time.
That's also all hinging on the fact that Phoenix would even want to try and move him at this point, at least during the final moments of their championship window.
As of now, it's hard to imagine Ayton gets moved at the deadline. Whether the Suns or Ayton want to explore other options is a different conversation, but words from all parties involved suggest that's not in the cards moving forward.
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