Trading Deandre Ayton Now Would Leave Phoenix Suns' Future In Doubt

The panic button in the homes of many Phoenix Suns fans has been pressed after a report surfaced that the franchise is closer to trading Deandre Ayton than keeping him for next season.

It was a joint report from The Athletic’s John Hollinger and Detroit Pistons beat reporter James L. Edwards III that sent a wave of worry throughout the fanbase.

“I was skeptical until I started talking to a few more people recently,” Hollinger initially wrote.

“Now, I think it’s more likely than not that he’s in a new destination next season, especially if the Suns can work out a sign-and-trade that brings back some value.”

Hollinger then explained that Ayton might be more comfortable leaving rather than staying if it meant that he had a more prominent role on the offense.

The pair then discussed the possibility of the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NBA draft going to the Detroit Pistons in a package centered around forward Jerami Grant.

Detroit would be the obvious winner in that situation as it gives them a core of Ayton, Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes.

It would be a disastrous trade on the Suns’ part as they will be giving up a franchise cornerstone in order to better their depth at the wing.

Suns fans have also been theorizing possible trade destinations for Ayton since their disappointing second-round exit at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, which mostly featured trade packages involving the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and even the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant.

However, the Suns might be better off keeping Ayton at least for next season if any possible trades do not net them a player with his caliber.

Ayton has been criticized multiple times throughout his young career for playing less than the level he is expected to perform at and for prioritizing playing video games over getting enough rest.

This was confirmed by Ayton himself during an interview with ESPN last month, where he admitted to having about only two hours of sleep per day after playing about four to five hours of video games.

It has understandably put Ayton in a bad light because a player of his caliber should know better what to prioritize at such a crucial point in his career.

At age 23, the Bahamian native has played a major role in the Suns’ transformation from a cellar-dwelling team in the Western Conference to tasting the NBA Finals last season.

This season may have been a disappointment of immeasurable proportions after their success in the 2021 NBA playoffs, which featured the “Valley-Oop” game-winner over the Los Angeles Clippers.

It was previously reported that beef was brewing between the 6-foor-11 center and NBA Coach of the Year Monty Williams following their Game 7 loss to the Mavericks and Ayton’s situation in the Valley has since soured from then.

General manager James Jones has a ton of things that he needs to consider this offseason, and while keeping Ayton has to be his number one priority, it would not be surprising for him to pull the trigger on a worthwhile sign-and-trade situation.

Ayton is a pivotal piece to the puzzle that the Suns have been trying to solve for their franchise's entire history, but impulsively trading him elsewhere could set them back instead of propelling them forward.