No. 5. Trading Deandre Ayton was also a necessary evil
In the end, while I’d argue the Suns may have prematurely parted ways with Deandre Ayton, it was probably something that needed to be done. I don’t like rushing into this sort of deal in the long run for the Suns but it also makes some sense in the short term. The Suns are all-in for the next 2-3 seasons. I understand Phoenix not having the patience to take the wait-and-see approach on Ayton this season.
It may not end up working out but this is probably a move (in some iteration) that the Suns needed to pursue before the start of the season. Phoenix’s front office believed it needed depth more than it needed a consistent (perhaps somewhat underachieving) presence in the frontcourt. That’s fair. With the recent moves that the Suns have made, you have to trust the front office here.
Time will tell if Phoenix truly improved their roster, but you can’t fault them for attempting to plug the holes in their depth in an attempt to deliver a championship for the franchise. From a fan’s perspective, that’s what you want. If it doesn’t work out in the end, you can critique the Suns for many things. But one thing that you won’t be able to critique them for is the lack of effort.