Blazers' Deandre Ayton on Suns After Trade: 'I Don't Want to Talk About Phoenix'

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton will face his old team for the first time in Thursday's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, but he's not interested in discussing the franchise that traded him away.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ayton refused to answer questions about the Suns and said, "I don't want to talk about Phoenix."

Ayton spent the first five years of his NBA career with the Suns after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2018. He was traded to Portland last month as part of a three-team deal that sent star point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Phoenix received center Jusuf Nurkić and forward Nassir Little from the Blazers, and Grayson Allen from the Bucks

Ayton failed to live up to his draft status during his time in Phoenix, as he never developed into the dominant big man he was projected to be. He put up middling numbers of 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game last season while shooting 58.8 percent from the field. His averages dipped across the board in the playoffs, posting 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 55.0 percent.

Following the Suns' elimination by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals last season, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that Phoenix players were frustrated "with what they perceive to be inconsistent effort and aggression from" Ayton.

While the seven-footer isn't interested in discussing the Suns for now, he will have to eventually. Portland will face Phoenix again on Monday and then four more times during the 2023-24 season.