Phoenix Suns Must Pursue Depth in Deandre Ayton Deal amid NBA Trade Rumors
At one point in the not-so-distant past, the Phoenix Suns saw cornerstone potential in Deandre Ayton.
They spent the top overall pick on him 2018 and doubled down on their commitment by matching the four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet he signed with the Indiana Pacers last summer.
This partnership has veered all the way off track since, though. There's now a "leaguewide consensus" that Ayton "has likely played his last game for the franchise," per longtime NBA insider Marc Stein.
Parting with a potential building block is never easy, and the Suns' gut reaction might be to target a new possible centerpiece in an Ayton deal. They should dismiss that notion, though.
The Suns just saw firsthand what can happen when a team grows too top-heavy. They went all-in on the foursome of Ayton, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul at the trade deadline, depleting their depth in the process. Once the postseason tipped off, Phoenix's lack of depth was glaring, particularly once injuries sidelined Paul (groin) and Ayton (rib).
Even if that quartet stayed healthy, though, there were serious questions about its ability to ascend to a championship level. Paul, who turned 38 earlier this month, is clearly on the decline, and Ayton was never the cleanest fit with Booker and Durant. Those two would've thrived with a low-maintenance finisher manning the middle, but Ayton is more methodical, often opting for finesse over power.
It just never lined up the way Phoenix needed it to. Ayton appeared in 10 games this postseason but posted a positive plus/minus in only three of them.
Talent isn't the issue. Ayton has plenty of that. He wasn't as heavily featured in the Suns' offense as you might expect a former No. 1 pick to be, but he still found his way to 18 points and 10 rebounds per night this season. He has soft touch on his mid-range jumper, a handful of back-to-the-basket moves and an ability to control the interior on defense.
With three seasons still left on his contract, the 24-year-old should have plenty of value on the trade market. However, the Suns shouldn't try parlaying that trade value into another star.
The Suns already have two of the brightest stars in the business with Durant and Booker, who averaged nearly 63 combined points per game this postseason. What they don't have is reliable depth. That's an issue for any team, but Phoenix feels it more than most with the threat of injury to the 34-year-old Durant, who last cleared the 60-game mark in 2018-19.
The Suns are also at risk of losing the little depth they have. The bulk of their bench group is heading into free agency, including Bismack Biyombo, Torrey Craig, T.J. Warren, Damion Lee, Josh Okogie, Jock Landale and Terrence Ross. It's tough to gauge how much interest Phoenix has in bringing many of those players back.
The Suns need consistency from their support pieces and better two-way options. Too many of their role players either added shooting with no defense or defense with no shooting. One-way players are easily game-planned against, which only adds to the heavy burden carried by Booker and Durant.
An Ayton trade needs to lighten that load by covering up multiple gaps and expanding this rotation. This is Phoenix's opportunity to handle multiple itches with a single scratch. This isn't always the case in the NBA, but here, four quarters is probably more valuable than a dollar.
Converting Ayton's trade value and salary slot into multiple contributors would be a major win for the franchise. Maybe that's a rim-running center, a complementary playmaker and a three-and-D wing. Maybe it's a small-ball big, a point-of-attack defender and a lights-out shooter who won't get roasted on defense. Perhaps it's just a two-player combo covering any of those archetypes.
Either way, Ayton needs to go—it's best for him and the Suns—and the deal needs to deliver multiple plug-and-play options back to Phoenix. If depth remains a fatal flaw for this team next season, the front office will have botched this offseason.
