Deandre Ayton Rumors: 'More Likely Than Not' Center Leaves Suns in 2022 Free Agency

Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix is one of the biggest questions of the NBA offseason as he heads into restricted free agency.

And there are growing rumblings that Ayton could soon be playing elsewhere. According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, it's "more likely than not" that Ayton leaves the Suns this summer.

Hollinger added: "I don't think Phoenix is totally comfortable going forward with him on a big-money deal, and I think Ayton might be okay with going somewhere else if he can have a bigger offensive role."

It's unclear precisely how the Suns would choose to move on from Ayton this summer, either by not matching an offer sheet in free agency or agreeing to a sign-and-trade. Per Hollinger, it's something of a mystery around the NBA.

The 23-year-old is fresh off a 2021-22 season that saw him average 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 63.4 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three and 74.6 percent from the charity stripe.

While Ayton isn't an elite rim-protector, he's no slouch defensively and has the athleticism to switch out on the perimeter. He's a strong roll man in Phoenix's pick-and-roll with Chris Paul and works hard on the boards. While he doesn't have strong perimeter shooting or playmaking ability, he checks most of the boxes teams want from a center in the modern NBA.

But perhaps Ayton feels stifled in Phoenix as a third option behind Devin Booker and Paul. Or perhaps the Suns aren't willing to pay max money for a center who doesn't offer an impact on the level of a Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid. Maybe it's a bit of both, with other factors behind the scenes that have added tension to the relationship.

If the Suns were all-in on Ayton, however, they would have extended him last offseason.

As B/R's Jake Fischer reported in May, "Last offseason, Phoenix balked at the five-year, $170 million-plus maximum figure during Early Bird negotiations with Ayton's representatives. The Suns then quietly gauged his trade value in February, sources told B/R, including one structure with Indiana that featured Domantas Sabonis."

So a departure continues to feel likely, even if that development once might have seemed unlikely.