Deandre Ayton’s Phoenix Suns career remains up in the air

When a player signs a four-year, $133 million to remain at a franchise, it’s generally an indication of their long-term security on the team. But for the Phoenix Suns, Deandre Ayton’s re-signing is no certainty of his place in The Valley over the four-year duration.

In fact, the relationship between player and franchise is bound more by NBA rules than anything else. Those rules stipulate that the big man can’t be traded until January 15, and that Ayton has veto power over any trade until next offseason.

Despite saying all the right things publicly, Deandre Ayton’s future at the Phoenix Suns remains a question mark heading into the 2022-23 season.

The relationship issues began last offseason when the team failed to offer Ayton a max contract extension. The former number one overall pick seemingly put that behind him and played well in 2021-22, before a public on-court falling out with head coach Monty Williams during the Suns disastrous demise in the playoffs.

Ayton and the Suns have said all the right things publicly since he re-signed with the franchise following an offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers. That continued at media day on Monday, though Ayton’s words seemingly didn’t align with his emotions and sombre attitude.

It comes after ESPN’s Tim MacMahon questioned Ayton’s desire to be in Phoenix on an episode of The Hoop Collective late last week.

"“I don’t know how ecstatic Deandre Ayton is about being in Phoenix where, he was essentially scapegoated in a game seven where the All-Stars no showed. Somehow Deandre Ayton was the scapegoat”, MacMahon said."

MacMahon and his colleagues continued to paint Ayton as a victim, acknowledging his willingness to do the ‘dirty work’ for the Suns despite being a prized number one overall pick. Time will tell on whether the relationship can be healed sufficiently, but it’s fair to expect that the issues wouldn’t have simply washed away in the space of one offseason.