Deandre Ayton Trade Rumors: Mavs Had 'Wide Range of Opinions' on Suns Star's Fit

Phoenix Suns star Deandre Ayton might have been as somewhat polarizing trade target within the Dallas Mavericks' front office.

"My perception is that there was a wide range of opinions within the Mavericks' organization about Ayton and how he would perform here," The Athletic's Tim Cato wrote Monday.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported in June the Suns and Mavs discussed an Ayton trade that would've included Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes and JaVale McGee.

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported June 25 that Phoenix was "moving forward with the plan of keeping Deandre Ayton to play alongside Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal."

Fans widely viewed that as a reflection of the fact Ayton's trade value wasn't where the team was hoping it would be.

The 25-year-old is owed $102 million over the next three seasons, and his performance in the 2023 playoffs reinforced the concerns about whether he can help get a team over the top. He averaged 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds across 10 games, which isn't the kind of production you want from a star on a max contract.

Before the Suns decided to hold firm on Ayton, Dallas was one of the most logical fits for the 6'11" big man. He would've been a sizable upgrade at center, and he would've made a great pick-and-roll partner for Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić.

The idea presented a lot of risk for the Mavs, though. They would've further depleted their inventory of trade assets, and they'd have much less financial flexibility moving forward with his contract on the payroll.

And Dallas might have faced the same dilemma as Phoenix where Ayton isn't raising its playoff ceiling to a level commensurate with his salary.

It's easy to see why there wasn't a consensus on Ayton inside the organization.