Suns add Bucks All-Star in mock Ayton deal

It is no secret that Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns currently finds himself on the trade block. Every player from James Harden to Damian Lillard who has been linked with a move this offseason, has found themselves mixed up with Ayton in the process.

Whether that is in a player-for-player swap (Harden), or as part of a more complicated, multiple team deal (Lillard), Ayton’s name continues to get brought up. Even Julius Randle and the New York Knicks aren’t impervious to the chatter, despite handling their business very well in recent seasons.

But what if it is the less talked about Milwaukee Bucks who end up being the link in getting a deal done for both Ayton, and also Lillard?

Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, a former site expert here at Valley of the Suns, recently put together an excellently comprehensive list of all of the potential moves the Suns could make if they are to finally move Ayton.

As you would expect some make a ton of sense, while some are harder to sell if you’re the Suns especially. All are technically possible though, and in every scenario Ayton ends up leaving the franchise that drafted him first overall back in 2018. Here is one of the more out there deals he is proposing.

There’s a lot to get through here, with a pair of All-Star guards moving conference and Ayton getting a fresh start next to rookie sensation Scoot Henderson and a chance to one day be named an All-Star himself on a team that feels closer to being his than the Suns ever did.

Grade the Trade: Suns add Bucks All-Star in Ayton deal

Starting with the Trail Blazers, and there is quite a bit to like about this deal for them. Any time you lose a superstar, and in the case of Lillard the best player in franchise history, you are never going to get fair value in the moment. Moving on from an iconic stings, and it always will.

But Ayton is one of the 10 best centers in the league today. Last season he gave the Suns 18 and 10, and alongside Henderson and Anfernee Simons, that is not a bad place to start in a rebuild. Ayton would also be the oldest of the three, and that change in role may be exactly what he needs to kickstart his career.

Grayson Allen is a good shooter with a streak of toughness (and at times, dirty play…) that would be ideal for the Trail Blazers off the bench. He also represents a player who could be moved to a contender for another young player in future. Andre Jackson Jr. was a second round pick in this year’s NBA Draft – and if he is going to get playing time anywhere – it’ll be in Portland.

Grade: B

Grade the Trade: Suns add Bucks All-Star in Ayton deal

For the Bucks, this is a harder sell that seems unlikely given that they’ve won a championship with Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton in the past. However, Middleton is now 32-years-old and has had his fair share of injuries, and Giannis may not stick around forever.

So if the Bucks want to show their franchise player that they’re willing to mix things up to stay at the top of the pile, they could do a lot worse than add Lillard. Paired with Antetokounmpo they could be frightening offensively, and have the depth to make them a tough out in the playoffs.

Ish Wainright is a throw-in here to balance the books, and he has more worth to the Suns than the Bucks. Still, he would be capable of being part of a second unit, and has the body type and defensive ability to hide some of the deficiencies that Lillard would bring with him on that end. Really though this feels like a sideways move that could go very wrong.

Grade: C

Grade the Trade: Suns add Bucks All-Star in Ayton deal

This is risky territory for the Suns, who would be getting rid of the only center on their roster who is anywhere close to elite. Their depth chart after Ayton right now consists of Drew Eubanks (competent backup and nothing else), Chimezie Metu (a lot left to prove in the league) and Bol Bol (is he even a center?).

Clearly the big man rotation would suffer, but adding Holiday actually restores a type of order as well. The Suns currently don’t have a true point guard since trading Chris Paul for Bradley Beal. Ironically Paul was the only floor general good enough to turn average centers into real assets, just like he did with Bismack Biyombo in the past.

But if Holiday was added to the mix, he and Beal could share a backcourt, allowing Booker to ditch the “Point Booker” role he is currently going to have to embrace. He could then become a flamethrower offensively, while Durant could man the four. That would leave the five as a mash of cobbled up pieces, but when you have those four players, does it really matter?

Big men generally become available during the season, and the Suns would be elite defensively in the backcourt, while Durant and Booker can get there themselves for stretches when required. They want out of the Ayton business anyway by the looks of things, and Holiday would represent the opposite to the big man.

A complete professional who you never have to worry if he is giving his all on the court, as well as being an exemplary member of the community off of it. As already mentioned, Wainright hurts their depth a small bit, but Eric Gordon, Yuta Watanbe, Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop would all remain. The fit isn’t perfect – but unless the Suns get a center in return – it never will be.

Grade: B