According to NBA insider John Hollinger, Phoenix Suns Center and 2022 Free Agent Deandre Ayton are likelier to leave than stay.
Pheonix Suns’ Deandre Ayton may leave Arizona this off-season after some contract disputes and limited offensive opportunity last year. Ayton, who the Suns drafted with the first pick in the NBA 2018 draft, was one of the players who had to sacrifice a lot of his offensive touches to accommodate a contending team with Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Ayton was expecting a max contract extension last offseason. However, that never materialized. The Suns can still retain Ayton in free agency as they have matching right as the big man is a restricted free agent. According to John Hollinger, Ayton, a college athlete in Arizona, would be open to leaving the Suns if he can get the right money and offensive role.
Two potentially touted teams for Ayton were the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs. Both teams not only offer Ayton an expanded role but also have assets to trade in a potential sign and trade with the Suns. The Pistons have Jerami Grant, a wing that may entice the Suns, while the Spurs have Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl, a young wing and a starting-calibre center who could replace Ayton in the short term.
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In his recent article, Hollinger said about Ayton’s free agency: “I was sceptical until I started talking to a few more people recently. Now, I think it’s more likely that he’s in a new destination next season, especially if the Suns can work out a sign-and-trade that brings back some value. For whatever reason, I don’t think Phoenix is comfortable going forward with him on a big-money deal, and I think Ayton might be okay with going somewhere else if he can have a bigger offensive role.”
