5 Trades Suns must make to get rid of Deandre Ayton
By Tyler Watts
The Phoenix Suns went all-in and traded for Bradley Beal on Sunday. It was a bold move that improved their title odds but is projected to blow the franchise past the NBA’s new second tax apron and puts some serious constraints on building their roster. Phoenix did not give up a ton to acquire Beal, but it could prove costly moving forward.
The Suns have to figure out how to fill out their roster in the short term. They only have a handful of players under contract heading into Thursday’s draft and just the 52nd overall pick to add to it. Phoenix had depth issues after trading for Kevin Durant, and those will remain unless the Suns are prepared to make additional moves.
New Suns head coach Frank Vogel has massive plans for Deandre Ayton, but now the only move is to trade the former number one overall pick for depth. Phoenix needs role players in the worst way, and trading Ayton is their only path to acquiring them.
Trades Phoenix Suns must make to get rid of Deandre Ayton
5. Deandre Ayton goes to Nets as Suns get role players
Phoenix has been shopping Ayton, but they have not found a deal to their liking thus far. What is the market for the former number-one pick? Having three years left on his contract at $102 million for a non-All-Star is not attractive to teams. The 24-year-old has plenty of talent, but the decline in his defense has not helped his value.
Brooklyn could have acquired him in the Kevin Durant deal but passed. They do not have a ton of interest, but the Suns could help to clear the Nets logjam on the wing along with giving up Ayton on the cheap.
The Suns get three role players, including a starter in Royce O’Neale. Devin Booker likely slides down to point guard, but Phoenix needs someone to defend at the point of attack. O’Neale fills that role and gets the chance to play with three All-Stars. The Suns would try to turn the 22nd overall pick in this year’s draft into a fourth rotation piece.
Ayton joins Nicolas Claxton in the frontcourt in Brooklyn. With more offensive opportunities does the former number one overall pick take his game to another level? The Nets would hope if they make this deal. It seems a bit far-fetched, but other teams will have interest in Deandre Ayton.