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Deandre Ayton Comments on First Game Back in Phoenix

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Deandre Ayton met with reporters today ahead of his first game back in Phoenix after being traded to the Trail Blazers on Sept. 27.

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Ayton did get to square off against his former team last Thursday, when he posted seven points, six rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.

Ahead of last matchup, Ayton said he did not want to talk about the Suns.

Now, in both teams’ fourth preseason game, Ayton, the Suns’ 2018 No. 1 overall pick, returns home, but is not feeling much emotions with it.

The first thing Ayton said was that he was happy to be able to see his son in the Valley. As for the game, he said: “I don’t feel anything. I’m about to play the Phoenix Suns.”

When questioned about it more, Ayton  did open up about some of the moments he had in Phoenix.

“Definitely some remarkable moments (that) I appreciate  (and) take with me,” he said. “Learning how to win and taking that with me as well. Knowing how hard it is to get a tradition going and to get guys going on the same level. So that’s the type of things I’m definitely taking with me to share to some of these younger guys with how hard it is in this league every day. It’s not about what you do yesterday, it’s about what you could do today.”

Ayton added that he was happy to hear Devin Booker wishing him the best in Portland after two were teammates in Phoenix for five years.

“Vice versa. Likewise,” Ayton said about Booker. “I ain’t got to say much, but just to hear things like that, it means a lot.”

Deandre Ayton Backtracks on Comments from Media Day

At Portland’s media day, Ayton thanked Phoenix for “accommodating his wishes,” leaving some to speculate that he requested a trade.

However, today he said he thought he was staying in Phoenix: “Nah, I was just trying to get better, I was working on my three-ball. I got tired of people saying I couldn’t shoot threes. That was about it, just working on the three-ball, nothing else was on my mind.”

But, Ayton did comment further on the situation in a long quote that really tells his side of the story:

“I just feel like them having the power to really send me anywhere they want, they sent me where I can be valued and be appreciated, things I wanted in my career,” Ayton said. “They ain’t just throw me anywhere. They threw me where guys are my age and the process of learning new basketball and starting something new. I just feel like it could have been worse. I really got blessed to be a part of an organization that really values me.”

How does Ayton plan to change the narrative surround him?

“Just play hard every game and just represent the organization the best way I can,” Ayton said. “Just shutting some folks up, just stepping on them the best way I can.”

What do you think of Ayton’s comments?

Let us know if you will be booing or cheering for Ayton tonight:

Will Suns’ Fans Cheer or Boo Deandre Ayton in his First Game back in Phoenix?

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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau

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