The NBA season is approaching. Rosters are usually set for opening night at this point but maybe Phoenix should look into making some adjustments. The biggest adjustment that can be made would be trading Deandre Ayton.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Ayton is going into his fifth season with the Suns. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 59% from the floor last season. This is great and efficient production. No one questions Ayton’s talent but he has moments where that talent doesn’t show. Those are the moments that have Suns’ fans anxious about Ayton coming through when it matters most.
Ayton’s trade value may have not been the highest in previous months due to his inconsistency. That may have changed due to Ayton’s has performance so far in the FIBA World Cup for the Bahamian National Team. Is this the time to take advantage and trade Ayton?
What do the Suns need?
One of the “issues” with the Suns’ roster is the lack of point guards. Bradley Beal is listed as the starting point guard and Saben Lee is listed as the backup. So, how does Phoenix add a good point guard and not give up too much. We know for a fact that the Indiana Pacers were interested in Ayton.
Last off-season they tried to sign Ayton who was a restricted free-agent to a four-year, 133 million dollar contract that was matched by the Suns. What if the Pacers are still interested?
Suns-Pacers Trade
The Suns should offer Deandre Ayton in return for Miles Turner and T.J. McConnell. Turner replaces Ayton and brings the same level of production. They both averaged 18 points a game last season. Turner may be better fit for the Suns with the spacing he provides. The long-time Pacer shot 37% from three point range last season on almost eight attempts per game. He is also a better rim protector than Ayton. Turner averaged 2.3 blocks per game compared to 0.8 for Ayton.
McConnell is a veteran backup point guard that would be a great change of pace guard for the Suns. He does a great job of orchestrating the offense while also being great at creating turnovers. He averaged 1.1 steals per game while playing only 2o minutes per game last season.
Deandre Ayton could thrive on the Suns this season and be an absolutely amazing fourth option. He will have some games where he looks like a top five center in the game. He can be an integral part of a championship team here in Phoenix.
If he was traded to Indiana, it may be a win-win scenario. The Suns will get more depth at point guard and have a better defensive center that also can score just as much as Ayton. Ayton will have the chance to have a bigger role on a younger team. Indiana would be able to build around him and Tyrese Haliburton.
