Deandre Ayton’s free agency has been stalled by Kevin Durant’s recent trade request, with Phoenix reportedly among the All-Star forward’s preferred landing spots. The Nets are said to be seeking a mammoth return (just imagine Brooklyn’s asking price for Durant after Rudy Gobert netted Utah five players and four first-rounders), which, at minimum, would cost Phoenix Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and a handful of future picks.
With little traction since last week’s initial flurry and radio silence from Durant (Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports says he hasn’t been returning texts from friends and colleagues), teams around the league are getting antsy with the Pacers said to be considering an offer sheet for Ayton. That would force the Suns’ hand, giving Phoenix two days to match Ayton's offer or risk losing him to Indiana. Another scenario, according to league insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN (who recently got the meme treatment with his viral musings on First Take), has Indiana acquiring Ayton in a sign-and-trade for veteran Myles Turner, who has twice led the NBA in blocked shots.
If Indiana presents an offer sheet and Ayton accepts, it would eliminate arguably the Suns’ best trade chip, throwing a major wrench in their pursuit of Durant. This could have been avoided by offering Ayton a max extension when he was eligible last offseason, but instead the 23-year-old is poised to leave Phoenix, feeling unwanted by the team that drafted him first overall in 2018. Months of bitterness and resentment came to the surface when Ayton was benched for a sideline blowup during Game 7 of the Western Conference semis against Dallas, effectively ending his tenure in Phoenix.
Though injuries and inconsistency have hampered him at times, Ayton, when healthy and motivated, has been a productive NBA starter, averaging a double-double for his career (16.3 points, 10.5 rebounds per game). Along with Indiana, the Hawks and Pistons have also been linked to Ayton as potential suitors.
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