As a former no. 1 overall pick, Suns big man Deandre Ayton was facing great expectations in his early career. But in the five years that Ayton has played, his stock has fallen quite significantly to the point where some even question if he should still be on the Suns at all.
The truth is, experts are still widely split on Ayton and what kind of impact he makes on the court. Amid these questions, and the concerns about effort level, Ayton has become a controversial figure in Phoenix and now believes that he’s actually hated by the vast majority of NBA viewers.
“I can feel the whole world hating me in a way,” Ayton said, via Arizona Republic. “I’m the guy a lot of people point at and I see it and feel it, but mainly what I’ve been working on five to six days a week since we’ve lost is just motivating myself to change the narrative of what people think about me. No matter you put it, I feel like I have no fans out there and I can feel it because the whole world is saying it. My goal is over the summer is to change the narrative. Just unlock whatever it is and just completely just focus on me and change the whole thing.”
Since the acquisition of Kevin Durant in February, Ayton has almost become an afterthought in the Suns’ system. With the ball so busy in the hands of Booker and Durant, there was only so much room for Ayton to dominate.
With Bradley Beal also on the squad now, the young big man’s role may be simplified to grabbing offensive rebounds and being a defensive anchor in the paint.
Suns Could Trade Ayton By The Deadline
The Suns are very obviously a luxury tax team and while new owner Mat Ishbia has not been modest about his willingness to spend money, he has also shown the bravery to make risky trades that raise the ceiling of the team.
So if Ayton isn’t living up to standards a few months into the season, you can expect his name to pop up in trade talks once again.
“You’re talking about Devin Booker and you’re talking about Kevin Durant,” said Richard Jefferson. “Everything I’ve heard and seen, Deandre Ayton is gone. He is still a 20 and 10 center that is 23 years old, 24 years old. There are gonna be teams that invest in him.”
It remains to be seen where Ayton will fit into this new Suns superteam, but it’s fair to say that he’s got a lot to prove if he wants to stick around. At the very least, it’s a good sign that he’s embracing the challenge ahead.
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