Deandre Ayton is one of the best big men in the league, and he is a player that is elite on both ends of the floor. He is one of the best rim protectors in the league, and he had a solid season offensively with the Phoenix Suns this year, averaging 17.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG while shooting 63.4% from the field.
Despite his talent, it seems as though the Phoenix Suns could be interested in moving him. There were reports that suggested that the team would seriously engage in sign-and-trade talks about the center.
“The Phoenix Suns are “increasingly expected to engage in serious sign-and-trade talks” regarding star center DeAndre Ayton, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Of course, there is still a chance that the Phoenix Suns will retain Deandre Ayton and keep him on the roster in the hopes that he improves even further next season. However, if he is traded, the most realistic destinations for him would be the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and the Toronto Raptors, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Ayton’s most realistic landing spots outside of Phoenix appear to be Atlanta, Detroit and Toronto, which all would present intriguing sign-and-trade opportunities for the Suns.
While retaining Deandre Ayton could potentially be good for the Phoenix Suns, sign-and-trades with any of those teams could be beneficial for them as well. It remains to be seen how the Phoenix Suns navigate this situation.
Deandre Ayton could help all three of those franchises, and there’s no doubt that he would be able to get increased offensive touches if he were to leave the Phoenix Suns for either of those options. Hopefully, we see Deandre Ayton land in a destination where he can thrive as a player, whether that be with the Phoenix Suns or otherwise.
