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The Dallas Mavericks would land the top pick in the NBA draft Luka Doncic was selected in, Deandre Ayton, in a trade proposal from Dallas Basketball’s Dalton Trigg — who feels that the Phoenix Suns big man would help the team bring along 2023 first-round pick Dereck Lively II. Trigg’s mock deal would send Christian Wood and one of Reggie Bullock or Maxi Kleber to the Philadelphia 76ers and Tobias Harris to the Suns.
“Adding Ayton at this reduced cost could take even more pressure off Lively to produce at a high level from day one,” Trigg prefaced before saying, “It would also give Ayton a much-needed change of scenery, as he’d attempt to live up to that 2018 No. 1 overall pick hype alongside Luka Doncic.”
Trigg believes the proposal would qualify as a “no-brainer” if the Mavs were able to maintain use of their non-taxpayers mid-level exception (valued at $12.4 million) and pull off such a scenario.
“If the Mavs can make a deal like this work while also retaining their ability to use the full $12.4 million MLE this summer, it’s a no-brainer,” Trigg wrote.
Mavericks Rebuffed By Suns in Deandre Ayton Trade Talks
According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Mavericks were rebuffed by the Suns when Dallas’ front office engaged with Phoenix in trade talks for their 2018 top overall NBA draft pick.
“Not too long ago, the Dallas Mavericks made a play for Deandre Ayton…It was not approved,” Haynes prefaced before saying, “The Phoenix Suns didn’t feel like it was an adequate enough package to make that deal.”
The Smoking Cuban’s Noah Weber believes that Ayton is still a possibility for the Mavs, with the possibility of Ayton not wanting to stick around in Phoenix due to decreased touches looming large during the 2023-24 season should the Suns not trade him this summer.
“Dallas would offer Ayton a fresh start and allow him to put his past with the Suns behind him,” Weber prefaced before saying, “There’s also a chance that Ayton will be upset by a decreased role and request a trade at some point next season. His future in Phoenix seems rocky, regardless of what reports say.”
Deandre Ayton Reportedly Not Being Traded By The Suns
The reports Weber was referring to came from Haynes, who reported that the Suns “are moving forward with the plan of keeping Deandre Ayton to play alongside Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.”
Arizona Sports called Ayton the “most valuable asset” the Suns could trade to cure the team’s depth concerns after sending away two players for Beal and facing a number of likely free agent departures this offseason.
“As rocky as his season went, he was the most valuable asset the Suns could trade to help the team’s depth concerns, though opposing teams surely are aware of the inconsistency that has been a part of his game,” the Arizona Sports staff wrote.
With the updated collective bargaining agreement, the Suns face a hard road to add talent around Booker, Durant, Beal, and Ayton in the future with the loss of the mid-level exception associated with being above the luxury tax apron in repeated seasons.
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