Deandre Ayton seems to more or less be on his way out of Phoenix at this point. The Suns’ organization doesn’t look like it’s filled with big fans of the former No. 1 overall draft pick, and Head Coach Monty Williams is not appreciative of Ayton’s alleged ‘waning focus’. All things considered, there are understandably several rumors floating around the league about where Ayton might end up playing basketball next season.
He’s been linked with a trade to the Charlotte Hornets that could see Miles Bridges and PJ Washington go the other way, while the Portland Trail Blazers alongside Damian Lillard has also been mentioned as a possibility. The Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors both could use big men, but the latest report from Jake Fischer on ‘The Athletic NBA Show’ has suggested that definite interest in Ayton is coming from none other than the Atlanta Hawks.
“Atlanta is definitely another team that I’ve heard for Ayton. There’s one person I talked to pretty consistently who’s like convinced Ayton is the guy that Atlanta wants.”
Pairing Ayton with Trae Young could work wonders to unlock the big man, who has impressed in Phoenix but failed to take the next step and establish himself as a bonafide star yet. Atlanta has some trade pieces that would be quite serviceable as well, with the likes of Clint Capela and John Collins being attractive options for almost every NBA team.
The sweepstakes for Ayton are likely to be wild. A 23-year-old big man with his skill set and potential is surely highly coveted across the league. However, considering that he is a restricted free agent, the Suns will try to ensure that they can get something back for his services, potentially in a sign and trade. Where Ayton himself wants to go remains a mystery, although it’s hard to imagine he’d be against teaming up with Trae in Atlanta.
