NBA Trade Rumors: Suns' Deandre Ayton Doesn't Interest Blazers amid No. 3 Pick Buzz

The Portland Trail Blazers aren't interested in a trade for Phoenix Suns star Deandre Ayton, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported last Friday that Portland "has valued" Ayton in the past, though it was unclear whether any pursuit was in the offing this summer.

New Suns head coach Frank Vogel has said all of the right things regarding Ayton, telling reporters in his introductory press conference the 24-year-old can be an elite post player.

But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on June 7 that Phoenix is planning to explore Ayton's trade market as it attempts to improve the supporting cast around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

In all likelihood, the die was cast when the Suns let Ayton sign a max offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers last offseason rather than give it to him outright. That's not typically what a team does with a player it considers to be a true cornerstone.

The Blazers, meanwhile, have a massive trade asset with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2023 draft and a clear need to upgrade their roster. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported on Friday that Portland is gauging the market for the pick and signaling a willingness to deal Anfernee Simons as well.

Assuming neither Simons nor the No. 3 pick would be included in the swap, acquiring Ayton would make sense for the Trail Blazers from the perspective that he's a better center than Jusuf Nurkić.

The trouble is, he's a traditional big man making $30-plus million over each of the next three years. Portland would be paying a premium to a player who probably doesn't significantly raise the franchise's ceiling in the postseason.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are evidence of where that strategy can go wrong because the Rudy Gobert trade is already looking like a disaster.

There's no question Damian Lillard needs more help in order to enjoy another deep playoff run in the Pacific Northwest. Ayton may not be the guy to help him get there.