The Phoenix Suns won't begin their own media day ahead of the 2026-27 season until next week, but we've already gotten an interesting update from the Washington Wizards' event regarding Deandre Ayton. Wizards' General Manager Will Dawkins seemingly confirmed that Ayton, who has started every game he's played since the 2020-21 season, will begin the season coming off the bench.
"When you're adding someone with Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton who is a starting level center in this league, and probably the best backup center in the league. I feel really good about the depth there."
This change has come about three years too late.
Former Suns first overall pick now coming off the bench
The Suns missed Ayton's ability to be a difference-maker defensively when they let him go in September 2023, but the reality is that the player who anchored them to the 2021 NBA Finals has not been seen since and is never coming back.
The Los Angeles Lakers turned to him out of desperation last season, and it is ironic that a franchise in the Wizards, which has been stuck in mediocrity for so long, will make the sensible decision on the 28-year-old.
If Ayton finally buys into being one of the better backups in the league, it could extend his career considerably. As things stand, he continues to get opportunities because of his size and what he has shown he can do in the past, but the reality is that we are now five years removed from that finals run.
This could be his last real chance to impress in the NBA.
Ayton could yet have the last laugh here, as Anthony Davis isn't exactly the most reliable center to build around. He won't stay healthy for an entire season, while their former second overall pick in Alex Sarr is recovering from surgery right now.
He has started every game he has appeared in for the franchise in his first two seasons and is an obvious building block alongside AJ Dybantsa. The plan is for Ayton to come off the bench, but that doesn't mean things can't change.
Suns finally have much better center depth since ditching Ayton
It took Phoenix some time to get this right (you deserve a free ticket to at least one game if you lived through the Drew Eubanks experience), but they finally have a depth chart at center they can feel good about.
Mark Williams being injured again is far from ideal, but his three-year, $38 million extension he just signed can be easily moved if needed. Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach are a tandem that will hopefully help lead the Suns into another period of contending. Even Duop Reath has some quiet upside and plays with the kind of motor Ayton could only dream of.
Ayton is now the Wizards' problem to try and figure out.
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