Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton
The Phoenix Suns are coming off a season in which they won the Western Conference and they were able to strike long-term deals with Mikal Bridges and new addition Landry Shamet, but they were unable to reach an agreement with 2018’s No. 1 overall pick, Deandre Ayton.
Since joining the Suns ahead of the 2018-19 season, Deandre Ayton has improved every year he has been on the court and this past season, he really took the next step in his career during the playoffs.
Without Ayton, the Phoenix Suns would not have made it to the NBA Finals and quite honestly, they probably would have been swept in this series by the Bucks if they did not have Ayton.
He may have only averaged 14.4 points and 10.5 rebounds during the regular season last year, but in the postseason, Deandre Ayton averaged close to 12 rebounds per game and he did so while playing upwards of 36 minutes per game!
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Making Sense Of What Happened At NBA Contract Extension Deadline
The 23-year-old center has turned himself into a workhorse on both ends of the court and now, he is one of the better centers in the league entering the new season given his skill level and potential moving forward.
However, it seems like the Phoenix Suns do not agree with this statement. Deandre Ayton wanted a max contract extension to be offered to him, much like what Trae Young and Luka Doncic received this offseason, but the Suns were unwilling to offer said deal to him, even though they spent a combined $133M on Bridges and Shamet yesterday.
After his emergence in the playoffs, many around the league believed that Ayton would be “next-in-line” to sign a big-time contract extension to remain in Phoenix, but now his future seems a little bit clouded.
At the end of the day, it seems reasonable to believe that this team wants Ayton around long-term and they will work out a deal in the offseason, but management could possibly look at leveraging the young center at some point, especially since they did not agree to a long-term deal.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Making Sense Of What Happened At NBA Contract Extension Deadline
Being so young and already cementing himself as a dominant center in this league has increased Deandre Ayton’s value tremendously, so it is not crazy to believe that the Suns could be open to fielding trade offers for him throughout the season.
The Suns are not expected to pursue a trade involving Ayton at this moment, but this team was two wins shy of winning their first championship ever, and adding a little bit more talent in place of Ayton could be the move they need to make.
