Blazing A Trail Out of Phoenix

Ayton is Sent To Portland in A Blockbuster Trade.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Bahamian basketball player Deandre Ayton was traded to the Portland Trailblazers today in a huge trade that involved three teams, eight players and three draft picks according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Lillard goes Milwaukee as part of a 3-team deal with Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 unprotected MIL 1st, and unprotected MIL swap rights in 2028 and 2030 to Blazers. Phoenix lands Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. https://t.co/Ge0H91AiIA

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023

The centerpiece of the deal, Damien Lillard was sent to a Bucks team hungry to repeat their 2021 championship,  where he will be paired with superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

The trade uproots Ayton from Phoenix, Arizona where he has lived since he was a high school junior in 2015 along with his family before spending a year at the University of Arizona in nearby Tuscon before making his return to Phoenix as the number 1 overall pick for the Suns in 2018. 

The Phoenix Suns select Arizona center DeAndre Ayton as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Follow live updates. https://t.co/n08IAWLJzF pic.twitter.com/6gasvwHqur

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 21, 2018

Ayton’s time in Phoenix had its ups and downs.

He had arguably his best individual season in 2019/20’s covid shortened year where he averaged 18 points and almost 12 rebounds a game but he started that year with a 25 game suspension for testing positive for a diuretic.

His numbers took a dive the following year when future Hall-of-Fame point guard Chris Paul was acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he helped the team to it’s best season in over a decade finishing with a 51-21 record while looking like one of the league’s best young big men in the playoffs. But he was absolutely demolished by Giannis in the finals. 

His contract extension negotiation turned ugly when he was not offered a max extension as the norm with players on rookie deals with his level of accomplishment and production. 

He got into a hostile and prolonged feud with head coach Monty Williams that resulted in Williams’ firing. 

The final straw for Ayton and the Suns may have came in the Western Conference Semis this past year when Ayton no-showed against the Denver Nuggets.

Despite his ups and downs, Ayton entering his prime at only 24 years old, and he was incredibly productive during his five seasons averaging a hair under 17 points a game with 10 rebounds on an incredible 75% shooting on a team that whose management, coaching staff and on-court leadership at times didn’t seem to want him or believe in him.

Now he’s headed to a young Portland team featuring 19-year-old Scoot Henderson and 24 year-old Anfernee Simons as its key pieces. Ayton, with his deep playoff experience and over 300 games played will be expected to provide veteran leadership while anchoring the interior on both sides of the court. 

The Blazers’ win record, and Ayton’s scoring numbers have nowhere to go but up from here.