Deandre Ayton faced an uncertain future with the Phoenix Suns after the 2023 playoffs and once they traded for Bradley Beal, his days seemed numbered. Trading Ayton would get the Suns some depth and would also help them avoid some penalties under the new CBA, so it was quite logical that they would try to move him.
He still remains on their roster today though, but it was reported the Suns did reject an offer from the Dallas Mavericks for the big man. NBA insider Marc Stein has now revealed what that offer was.
“The Phoenix Suns engaged in advanced discussions to trade former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to the Dallas Mavericks last week during the NBA Draft before the talks stalled, league sources say,” Stein wrote. “The proposed deal, sources tell The Stein Line, would have sent Ayton to Dallas for Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes and JaVale McGee — but the Suns balked at McGee’s inclusion.”
JaVale McGee’s contract expires after the 2024-25 season and he is set to earn $11.7 million in that time, as per Spotrac. The Suns deemed it to be too much for them it would appear.
“The talks with Dallas were not going to furnish Phoenix with any future first-round draft compensation but initially held appeal to the Suns, sources say, because it would have given them two players they like in Hardaway and Holmes,” Stein continued. “Who could plug into a rotation with numerous vacancies in support of the newly formed star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.”
It is really a deal along these lines that the Suns would have wanted for Ayton. They needed to find a way to get 2-3 rotational pieces that would fit around their big three and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Richaun Holmes would have been just that. It ultimately fell apart and the Suns have seemingly now decided to change course with Ayton.
The Suns Have Now Decided To Keep Deandre Ayton
Unable to find a deal that they liked, the Suns have now decided they will keep Ayton, as per NBA insider Chris Haynes. His value is probably at an all-time low at this point and that’s ideally not the time when you trade a player.
Ayton did put up solid averages of 18.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.8 BPG last season and if he had played well in the postseason, maybe Phoenix could have gotten a good haul for him.
They now would be hoping that Ayton can have a strong campaign under new head coach Frank Vogel, who has had success with big men in the past. Vogel did state that Ayton can be one of the best big men in the league and we’ll see if he is indeed capable of turning things around for the former No. 1 overall pick.
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