The news around the Phoenix Suns doesn’t seem very positive at the moment, there are a lot of players that have been under fire following their disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7. It hasn’t helped that the Mavs have failed to put up any sort of fight in the Conference Finals so far, losing the first 3 games of the series without really troubling the Warriors too much.
Chris Paul got criticism from the media and the fans, and Devin Booker was held accountable by several people, but the duo seems to at least still be on good terms with the franchise. The one Phoenix star that has been linked with a move away from the organization and has suitors lining up for him though, is Deandre Ayton.
And it seems that the issue runs deeper than Phoenix’s unwillingness to give Ayton a max contract, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Head Coach Monty Williams has something of an issue with the 23-year-old big man.
“The recent Williams dynamic may simply echo consistent word—dating back to the trade deadline—from league sources with knowledge of the situation that Ayton is not particularly a favorite of Phoenix’s head coach. Williams has purportedly griped about Ayton’s waning focus, which some people contacted by B/R said has often been reflected by the ebbs of his playing time.”
Ayton was benched in Game 7 and had something of a spat with Monty Williams when he was on the bench, so the signs so far are not looking good for his future in Arizona.
The idea that Ayton’s focus is an issue also holds a little merit, considering that he has failed at times to assert himself on opponents that he should be dominating. However, at just 23, it might end up being a mistake for Phoenix to let him walk, considering that his potential is incredibly high.
