Getty Suns stars Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul
After being eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals in back-to-back playoff appearances, the Phoenix Suns have begun to reshape the chain of command in preparation for the 2023-24 season. After parting ways with head coach Monty Williams earlier in May, the consensus thought is that new owner Mat Ishbia will also reconstruct the roster.
According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, Suns star big man Deandre Ayton could be shopped to the Indiana Pacers.
“Rival executives tell Hoops Wire they would be surprised if point guard Chris Paul and center Deandre Ayton are back with the Suns next season. The front office is expected to explore trades on both,” Amico writes via Hoops Wire.
“The Suns are likely to reach out to the Pacers about a potential trade centered on Ayton, sources said. Indiana signed Ayton to an offer sheet last summer, prompting the Suns to match and keep him.”
Multiple Teams Could Pursue Deandre Ayton
Ayton has become disgruntled with the Suns over the last two seasons, which could be because of his decreased role in the offense. The development of Miles Bridges and Cam Johnson in 2022 limited his touches last season, and once they acquired Kevin Durant at the deadline this season, Ayton became almost an afterthought in Phoenix.
But just because Ayton’s value to the Suns has declined does not mean he won’t be valuable elsewhere. He is still a former number-one overall pick that can feast in the paint when given the opportunity. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report says Ayton could gauge the interest of several teams during the offseason.
“It’s too early to gauge the Ayton market. Still, that list of teams could include the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Pacers, or Mavericks, among others,” Pincus writes.
“And the Suns could package Ayton and Paul together, perhaps in a multi-team swap, to build out the kind of return that would make a Durant/Booker combination more viable. Ideally, that would be for a true point guard like Paul—whose most significant deficit is availability because of injury—a replacement center for Ayton and depth in general.”
Suns Likely to Trade Deandre Ayton Over Chris Paul
If the Suns had to choose between trading Chris Paul or Ayton, one would think they would rather deal Paul. Especially with several star guards such as Kyrie Irving, James Harden (who reportedly has an interest in joining the Suns), and Fred VanVleet scheduled to hit the free agent market in the next six weeks or so.
But Paul does not have much trade value these days. His points per game average decreased in each of the last three seasons. In addition, Paul, known for being an elite playmaker, has only averaged double-digit assists once since the 2016-17 season. He also has become an injury liability come playoff time.
The only thing attractive about Paul in a deal is his contract because it is not fully guaranteed for the next two seasons. And after surrendering four first-round picks in the Kevin Durant trade, Phoenix does not have any draft capital to offer either. That is one reason Pincus believes Ayton is the most likely player headed out of Phoenix.
“Given Paul’s main appeal in trade is probably his contract, and the Suns don’t have much to offer in sweetener, Ayton may be the necessary main course in any blockbuster deal,” Pincus writes.
“Ayton, almost 25, has three years left on his deal at $32.45 million for 2023-24 ($102 million total), so the Suns should have a long list of suitors from competitive to rebuilding teams—especially those that struggle to land free agents and would value the length of his contract.”
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