Mavericks Should Make Run at Suns' Deande Ayton amid Latest Kyrie, NBA Trade Rumors

Standout point guard Kyrie Irving isn't a lock to rejoin the Dallas Mavericks just yet. According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Irving will meet with the Mavericks, the Phoenix Suns and "possibly" other teams when free agency opens on Friday.

However, a return to Dallas still appears to be the most likely outcome for Irving.

"The Mavericks are still considered the favorites to re-sign Irving," Haynes wrote. "They would ideally like to get a commitment from him early in free agency so he could assist in recruiting other free agents."

Assuming the Mavericks do retain Irving, they should be looking to build a Western Conference contender around him and Dončić. Adding a third star in Deandre Ayton could help accomplish that goal.

Ayton is 24 and should still be an ascending talent. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns last season, and his combination of size and defense could be valuable in a postseason matchup against the defending-champion Denver Nuggets.

The potential obstacle here is that, per Haynes, the Suns plan to move forward with Ayton as part of their core:

However, the Mavericks were reportedly close to landing Ayton sometime around the draft.

"Phoenix has discussed Ayton with several teams over the last week and reportedly nearly had a deal done with Dallas around draft night," Sports Illustraded's Chris Mannix wrote. The Suns have been seeking multiple rotation players in exchange for Ayton.".

It's this desire for rotational/depth players that could spark Phoenix to revisit the idea of moving Ayton. The Suns only have six players under contract entering free agency, and according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the "expectation" is that Phoenix will generate free-agent interest even though they can only offer veteran-minimum contracts.

If that interest doesn't materialize, though, a trade may be Phoenix's best path to putting a solid supporting cast around Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

According to NBA Insider Marc Stein (h/t Luke Adams of HoopsHype), the proposed trade involved Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes, and JaVale McGee but the Suns "balked" at the idea of taking on McGee's contract.

This suggests that Dallas was close to putting together an enticing trade package for Ayton, and it's time for the Mavs to also revisit and Ayton trade—perhaps without McGee in a reworked offer.

According to Stein, the Suns were very interested in adding Hardaway and Holmes.

While players like Hardaway and Holmes can help Dallas, Ayton is the third start that could allow the Mavericks to get back to the postseason and perhaps even make a deep playoff run.

The big remaining question is whether Dallas can convince Ayton to waive his no-trade clause—which may or may not have played a role in the initial agreement between the Mavs and Suns falling short.

Dallas was aggressive when it added Irving during the 2022-23 season but it wasn't enough to deliver a playoff berth. It's time for the Mavs to get aggressive and at least reengage the Suns in an offer for Ayton—at least, if they hope to compete with the likes of Phoenix, Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers in the West.