Suns' Deandre Ayton Says He Loves Playing in Phoenix amid Trade Rumors

Amid rumors that the Suns are looking to trade him, Deandre Ayton said he loves playing in Phoenix.

"Man, I love Phoenix," Ayton told reporters Friday afternoon. "Honestly, I'm going to continue playing hard for Phoenix, and keep repping Phoenix like I've always been repping Phoenix, and that's about it. I don't listen to the outside noise. I'm here. I'm happy."

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Friday morning that Phoenix would explore trade options for Ayton, citing inconsistent play and his tense relationship with coach Monty Williams.

Ayton met with Suns general manager James Jones on Friday to talk about improvements he could make over the offseason.

The Suns were eliminated from the conference semifinals by the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in a 125-100 Game 6 blowout at home.

Ayton missed the Suns' elimination Game 6 after suffering a rib contusion in Game 5.

Prior to his injury, Ayton was quiet for Phoenix in a series during which he spent stretches of time relegated to the bench. After putting up consecutive double-doubles to close out a five-game first-round series win against the L.A. Clippers, Ayton struggled against Denver's Nikola Jokić, who held Ayton to 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in five games of the second round.

Criticism over that performance is "easy to ignore," Ayton told reporters after the Suns' elimination.

"I let the peanut gallery keep going, and then I shut them up with my performance," Ayton said.

In his meeting with Jones on Friday morning, Ayton said the discussions revolved around aspects of his game the GM could help him improve, especially creating more space on the court around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

"I told him, I can't wait to see. I can't wait to get started this summer, and just get working," Ayton said.

Sources told MacMahon that Ayton would be excited about a "fresh start" with another franchise, and that the Suns would "aggressively" explore the trade market for him this summer. Although Phoenix matched a four-year Indiana Pacers offer sheet for Ayton last summer, the team's relationship with him has reportedly been tense since he was benched during the Suns' blowout conference semifinals home elimination game from last year, a 123-90 Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Ayton averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game during the regular season and could be an attractive option for a team willing to overlook a disappointing playoffs. Meanwhile, it looks like he plans to spend the summer preparing for another season with the Suns.