Deandre Ayton, Zach LaVine's Top Trade Landing Spots After 2023 NBA Draft
A few big-name veterans were traded prior to Thursday's NBA draft, including Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porziņģis and Chris Paul. It's certainly possible that other veterans find themselves headed out of town via trade, and two names that have been discussed in rumors are Deandre Ayton and Zach LaVine.
Ayton, the Phoenix Suns center, just completed his fifth season in town. However, it's possible that his time in Arizona is coming to an end. Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported some crucial updates on Ayton following the Beal trade:
ESPN's Tim MacMahon also reported on May 12 that the Suns were expected to "aggressively explore the trade market" for him.
Meanwhile, Bulls insider K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported that LaVine is in "trade rumors yet again."
"Whether the Bulls are gauging LaVine's market simply because he produces their greatest trade return or because management and the coaching staff has questions about his status as franchise cornerstone depends on who's doing the talking," Johnson reported on Tuesday. "Both theories exist."
The asking price is reportedly massive for LaVine with a league source telling Johnson that "the Bulls would be focused on getting a good young player, multiple first-round picks and salary filler if they decide to trade LaVine." Another source said that "one first-round pick and an established, high-end player might be sufficiently intriguing."
However, Matt Moore of Action Network reported that the Bulls haven't gotten anything close to that offer and look to now run it back with LaVine in 2023-24.
Ultimately, both Ayton and LaVine have stuck in their respective towns despite a litany of trade rumors, but here are three possibilities if they end up moving down the road.
Deandre Ayton
Indiana Pacers
This is an easy one. Ayton and the Indiana Pacers agreed to a four-year, $133 million offer sheet last offseason before the Suns matched that deal for the restricted free agent.
The Pacers' interest in Ayton is clear, and perhaps something can be revisited now that the Suns appear intent on dealing the big man.
Indiana already has Myles Turner down low, but he has just one year left on his deal and has often been the subject of trade rumors, specifically with the Los Angeles Lakers. It's very possible that tenure is coming to an end, paving the way for Ayton to potentially take over at the 5.
Portland Trail Blazers
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wrote on June 9 that the Portland Trail Blazers have "valued" Ayton in the past. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix stated that the Blazers aren't interested in acquiring him.
A trade down the road at least seems plausible, especially if the Blazers are looking to shake up their roster to get the most of this window of time with superstar Damian Lillard, who appears to be staying put despite trade rumors.
At the least, Ayton would be a younger and more efficient upgrade over current Blazer starting center Jusuf Nurkić, although the latter big man (and the Blazers for that matter) could enjoy a breakout season if new addition Scoot Henderson realizes his immense potential.
Zach LaVine
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks enjoyed a breakout season last year, making the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013. But their lack of offensive depth showed in the Eastern Conference semifinals when Jalen Brunson carried the scoring load with inconsistent help.
LaVine could certainly be of assistance, although it appears his camp would be against a trade to New York, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Still, there's been plenty of speculation connecting LaVine and the Knicks, as it looks like a potential fit on paper to fill a big need.
Dallas Mavericks
If the Dallas Mavericks are unable to re-sign guard Kyrie Irving in free agency, then they could be a team to watch for LaVine.
He reportedly has some fans within the organization, ESPN's Tim MacMahon previously reported.
"I do know that there are people who have some juice within the Mavericks organization who are Zach LaVine fans," MacMahon said on the Lowe Post podcast (h/t Michael Allardyce of NBC Sports Chicago).
The Mavs have a $17 million trade exception to play with after a draft-day trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they are intent on using it, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic:
LaVine could be a better fit for the backcourt than Irving as the team's shooting guard, with Luka Dončić running the point.
