Getty Deandre Ayton defends Damian Lillard.
The Phoenix Suns are amid an offseason where they are trying to legitimize themselves as title contenders. With that have come some tough decisions. They parted ways with former NBA Coach of the Year, Monty Williams, earlier in May after the team failed to make it past the Western Conference Semifinals in back-to-back years.
After parting ways with Williams, the belief is that many players from the 2022-23 roster could also be on the way out of Phoenix. Per Fox 10 Suns Insider, Flex from Jersey, the Portland Trail Blazers have interest in Suns’ star big man Deandre Ayton and would be “willing to discuss a deal” surrounding the 3rd overall pick they won in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery.
“Multiple sources have confirmed Portland has an interest in Deandre Ayton & could be willing to discuss a deal centered around the 3rd overall pick and additional pieces. Scoot Henderson & Brandon Miller are both considered to be foundational players in this upcoming NBA Draft,” he Tweeted on May 19.
Multiple sources have confirmed Portland has interest in Deandre Ayton & could be willing to discuss a deal centered around the 3rd overall pick and additional pieces. Scoot Henderson & Brandon Miller are both considered to be foundational players in this upcoming NBA Draft.
The insider also clarified that the Trail Blazers would require other pieces to be included for them to maintain interest in a potential deal. In addition, he noted the franchise has been “shopping” their lottery pick and has been interested in Ayton since last summer when he was a restricted free agent.
Should Portland Start Rebuild This Summer?
One might wonder if this will be the summer that the Trail Blazers let go of the rope and trade their franchise star, Damian Lillard. Lillard has been a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA point guard in Portland. But his stats have not always translated to wins for the franchise.
Portland has only been to the Western Conference Finals once with Lillard at the helm. That was in 2019 when they got convincingly swept by a Golden State Warriors team , despite losing Kevin Durant to an injury in the previous round.
This would be the perfect time for Portland to sell out and start rebuilding. They got a sneak peek of what the future could look like when Lillard went down with an injury earlier this season, and 23-year-old guard Anfernee Simmons had to fill the void left by the Blazers star. Simmons responded in a big way averaging 21.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Combining that with the #3 pick could springboard them into a new era.
Damian Lillard Has Fiery Response to Trade Rumors
Despite multiple voices around the league urging Lillard to get out of Portland to go compete for a championship, the Blazers star has consistently alleged his loyalty to the franchise. But with the emergence of Simmons and now having the #3 pick in their clutches, some are starting to believe a split will not only be in the best interest of Lillard but the Blazers as well.
Some Blazers fans on Twitter had even begun urging the franchise to deal Lillard ahead of the NBA Draft in June, which the All-NBA guard caught wind of. The Blazers star set the internet on fire with his response.
“If the fans want to trade me … start the petition and send it in,” Lillard tweeted in response to a fan on May 18.
It will be interesting to see how the summer unfolds.