"Clearly just wanted to get rid of him": Charles Barkley sniffs friction between Deandre Ayton and Suns after blockbuster trade
The Phoenix Suns were able to include Deandre Ayton in the three-team blockbuster trade centered around Damian Lillard. This ends the former first-round overall pick's era in Arizona, who will be moving on to play for the Portland Trail Blazers alongside highly sought after prospect Scoot Henderson.
Just last season, Ayton was having a spat with Monty Williams and there were doubts if the center will sign an extension with the Phoenix Suns. However, the former Arizona Wildcat did return to the Suns for four years in a $139.9 million deal.
Playing alongside Monty Williams and the Suns once more, Ayton was able to provide 18.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Now that Williams has been let go by the team and will be coaching the Detroit Pistons, Ayton also will get a fresh start in Oregon.
In an interview with NBATV right after the trade deal, said Charles Barkley sensed the tension between Ayton and team and said:
"With the Suns, something was going on with Deandre Ayton. It goes back to there was an issue with Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton. Now it must have been something else going on in the organization. (Phoenix) clearly just wanted to get rid of him"
Phoenix Suns getting more depth after trading DeAndre Ayton
Through this deal, the Phoenix Suns organization will be getting some depth to their big three lineup of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. On trading DeAndre Ayton and Toumani Coumara, the team gets Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson in exchange.
The Suns also have Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Damion Lee, Yuta Watanabe and Bol Bol in their lineup.
This was a deal that made all teams winners. Damian Lillard gets a fresh start with the Milwaukee Bucks, Ayton gets to team up with Scoot Henderson in Portland and the Phoenix Suns added more depth and got a defensive-minded center in Jusuf Nurkic.
"The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned," said Lillard in the social media platform X. "Excited for my next chapter!"
The Suns in exchange will get four players, but the biggest piece was Jusuf Nurkic who averaged 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during the 2022-23 season.