Deandre Ayton is a very good big man that is capable of scoring on the interior on offense and being an elite rim protector on defense. There is no doubt that he’s had a solid year with the Phoenix Suns, averaging 17.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG for the team.
Despite his talent, it has been made quite clear that the Phoenix Suns want to move on from Deandre Ayton. It seems as though a potential team that could give Ayton an offer sheet in his restricted free agency is the Indiana Pacers. If Ayton accepts, the Phoenix Suns would have to either match the offer sheet or let him go for nothing. They would not be able to use him in a potential sign and trade, and they have most notably been linked to Kevin Durant.
I do believe we are close to a resolution on Deandre Ayton maybe even by tomorrow. Indiana has the cap space and I’ve heard rumblings of them signing him to an offer sheet. I’ve also heard Toronto has some interest but I do not know at what level.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 7, 2022
I do believe we are close to a resolution on Deandre Ayton maybe even by tomorrow. Indiana has the cap space and I’ve heard rumblings of them signing him to an offer sheet.
It makes sense that the Indiana Pacers would target Deandre Ayton. They are a rebuilding team that can afford to take a gamble on him, and they are likely banking on him becoming a better offensive player when given more touches. They also have an elite point guard in Tyrese Haliburton, that is the perfect fit next to Deandre Ayton.
It remains to be seen if this actually does end up happening. There are likely other teams that will try and sign Deandre Ayton to an offer sheet, and we’ll see if he ends up signing with the Pacers. A rebuilding situation would definitely be good for his individual development as a player, but perhaps he would also take being on another winning team into consideration when making his decision.
