In a courtside chat with the media, Deandre Ayton gave ESPN’s Tim MacMahon his latest response to the breakup with Phoenix. Just weeks after being sent to the Trail Blazers in a blockbuster pre-season deal, the former top overall pick spoke candidly about what makes his new team different than the old.
“[The Suns] sent me where I can be valued and be appreciated, things I wanted in my career,” said Ayton. “It could have been worse… I really got blessed to be a part of an organization that really values me.”
"Just playing hard every game, representing the organization the best way I can and shutting some folks up." Deandre Ayton on changing "the narrative."
Ayton also said it "could've been worse" where he was traded, but is with a team that values him. #Suns #RipCity. pic.twitter.com/x5pzhatSJO
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 16, 2023
For a guy who was winning playoff series alongside some of the best players in the world, joining a small market team like the Blazers would normally be the dreaded outcome. In the case of Ayton, however, this is like a breath of fresh air for him after rubbing shoulders with the Suns for years. While nobody is sure how things will play out with his new team this season, fans are still left wondering what happened in Phoenix that led to this massive change of scenery.
Deandre Ayton Was Done With The Suns
Things started off innocently enough between Deandre and the Suns franchise. After averaging 16 points per game in his rookie season, he validated the Suns’ choice to pick him first in the draft and he was showing real signs of stardom. Unfortunately, the hiring of head coach Monty Williams in 2019 appears to be where things took a turn for the worst.
With reports of an uninspiring work ethic from Ayton, the big man was getting heat from the fans and the media as his role and minutes started to decrease by the week. Eventually, things got so tense between Williams and Ayton that it started to spill over on the court, which is exactly what happened during a now-infamous incident in 2022. All of this was exacerbated when Ayton didn’t receive the kind of contract offer he was expecting this past summer. These events all came together to cause a rift between Ayton and the Suns that could never be repaired. In Portland now, Ayton finally has a second chance to thrive on a team that can truly appreciate what he brings to the table.
What Will Ayton Bring To Portland?
Following the Damian Lillard trade, the expectation is that the Portland Trail Blazers will be among the worst teams in the West. Unlike other lottery-bound teams, however, it’s not for a lack of talent that the Blazers will struggle to win games. With Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, and (of course) Deandre Ayton, the Blazes have a lot of pieces to work with heading into the future.
As for this upcoming season, Portland will need a miracle to make the playoffs, but it’ll count as a success for them if Ayton plays strong and shows flashes of his best. Now that Jusuf Nurkic is gone, the burden falls on Ayton and Ayton alone to hold down the fort, protect the rim, and be the type of two-way big man that his team needs. Last season, through 67 games, Ayton averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and .8 blocks per game on 58% shooting.
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