Getty Suns center Deandre Ayton
The Phoenix Suns could trade Deandre Ayton this summer for a $81 million superstar.
Heavy Sports insider Sean Deveney reported on May 12 that the Chicago Bulls have Ayton on their potential trade list this offseason and All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan could be moved. The Bulls could trade DeRozan to the Suns for Ayton, who doesn’t have a good relationship with Phoenix head coach Monty Williams.
“It’s almost certain they will look into trading him. I think they feel like they can do all right with a mishmash of decent centers and changing their focus on getting better talent around those two star guys,” one NBA GM told Heavy Sports. “That’s been true for the past couple of years, really. Deandre has butted heads with Monty. But he can be a great player, still, it just needs to be somewhere else. It is a tough market for trading centers, though. They are about to find that out. The team that might be the most interesting getting into that mix is Chicago, and I’ve heard he’s on the list, at least. A lot still depends on the (draft) lottery.”
DeRozan signed a three-year, $81 million contract with the Bulls in August 2021. He’s in the final year of his deal and Deveney reports that Chicago “is open to reshaping its roster with guard Zach LaVine as the clear No. 1 go-to option.”
“A more likely swap for the Suns and Bulls would center on sending out Ayton for DeMar DeRozan,” Deveney wrote. “The Bulls have not shopped their star wing but that could be coming, considering he is 33 and heading into the final year of his contract. Chicago, according to league sources, is open to reshaping its roster with guard Zach LaVine as the clear No. 1 go-to option.”
The Suns ‘Need Players’
An Eastern Conference executive told Deveney the Suns “need players,” indicating that the roster depth wasn’t good enough this year to win a championship. Phoenix could acquire multiple players for Ayton, who averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds during the regular season.
“They need players, they need versatile guys who can do a bunch of things—more ballhandlers, more shooters, more 3-and-D guys,” one Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “They traded their young depth (Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges) to get Durant and so you got guys playing big roles there who shouldn’t be. So they need to shake up that roster, and that is going to mean seeing what is out there for (Ayton).”
Ayton tried to leave the Suns last summer by signing a four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers in restricted free agency. However, Phoenix matched Indiana’s offer sheet. Ayton, 24, has career averages of 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Suns drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Arizona.
DeMar DeRozan Is One of the Best Scorers in the NBA
DeRozan, who has a relationship with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, is one of the best scorers in the NBA. The 33-year-old averaged 24.5 points this season for the Bulls, who missed the playoffs after making it in 2022.
If the Suns traded Ayton to the Bulls for DeRozan, they would have a lethal Big 3 of Durant, Booker and DeRozan. The three stars are three of the best mid-range scorers in the NBA.