NBA Rumors: Deandre Ayton can join Damian Lillard on Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard could be joined by Deandre Ayton in Portland as the teams look to keep its superstar guard happy.
As such, all eyes are currently on what the Trail Blazers decide to do with their third overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Should Portland opt to use their pick and draft one of Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, it's likely that Lillard would request a trade.
However, according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, Portland has held an interest in pairing Lillard with Deandre Ayton in the hope of enticing him to remain with the Western Conference outfit.
"Portland has valued Suns center Deandre Ayton in the past, sources told Yahoo Sports," Fischer wrote. "Rival front offices are certainly hoping Lillard plays the card he never has if Portland can’t find suitable upgrades to the Blazers’ roster by dangling the No. 3 pick in this month’s draft.
"Although both franchise and superstar appear to be prioritizing building a true playoff contender around Lillard, with ongoing plans to re-sign forward Jerami Grant as well, sources said."
Ayton struggled for the Phoenix Suns during their second-round exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets and has often been mentioned as a potential trade chip. Still, the notion of the rim-running big man pairing up with Damian Lillard is an exciting one.
Stephen A. Smith accuses Deandre Ayton of getting Monty Williams fired
According to ESPN's Stephen A Smith, Deandre Ayton is at fault for Monty Williams being fired by the Phoenix Suns in May.
“I’m going to say something right here, right now, for the national airwaves that people might shun at...Deandre Ayton got Monty Williams fired. I’m going to say that,” Smith said. "This is the same guy that Monty Williams had a problem with last season that he benched him the postseason for significant minutes."
Ayton has endured a tumultuous few years with the Phoenix Suns. First, the franchise opted not to extend a max contract offer to Deandre Ayton during the final year of his rookie deal, despite him being the first overall draft pick in 2018. Then, the Suns had a change of heart and matched the Indiana Pacers' offer of a four-year, $133 million deal the following summer.
And finally, Monty Williams limited Ayton's minutes throughout the 2023 NBA playoffs, citing the reason as 'internal.'
As such, it could make sense for both the Suns and Ayton to look to an amicable split, giving both the franchise and the player an opportunity to rebuild. Still, any deal that sees Ayton heading to the Portland Trail Blazers would almost certainly include the third pick in the upcoming draft, along with young talent such as Anfernee Simons, who has also been discussed in Jaylen Brown trade rumors.
With the NBA Free Agency period still over a month away, we will have to wait and see what happens with Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Fortunately, we will know more when we see what happens on draft night on June 22.