Suns' Deandre Ayton Trade Rumor: Mavs Deal Without Draft Pick?

Following the trade for Bradley Beal, it may finally be time for the Phoenix Suns to trade Deandre Ayton, and the asking price could be in the Dallas Mavericks’ range.

Michael Mulford | Jun 21, 2023

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On the eve of the 2023 NBA draft, the Dallas Mavericks' decision with the No. 10 pick is one of the biggest question marks ahead of Thursday night. But that isn't the only thing that's on the minds of the Mavs’ front office this summer.

On Tuesday, NBA insider Marc Stein appeared on "The Ben and Skin Show" to discuss the Mavericks' offseason plans, including Kyrie Irving's free agency, the NBA draft, and trade rumors, which included Suns center Deandre Ayton.

"That's something you got to keep an eye on -- does Ayton become available for just two contracts or three contracts with no draft compensation needed," Stein said. "And if I'm the Mavs, I at least have to look at that."

Stein is right — Dallas absolutely has to look into that kind of deal for Ayton. Phoenix is in desperate need for depth following the acquisition of Bradley Beal, and if a number of role players is all you need to acquire Ayton, that's a conversation that must be had internally if you're the Mavs no matter how overpriced his contract might be.

On Dallas' end, matching Ayton's $32.4 million salary could be done by sending Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, and JaVale McGee to Phoenix.

On the flip side, though, is that depleting the Mavericks' depth too much? That could be up for debate, but Jaden Hardy could step into the sixth-man role left behind by Hardaway Jr., and Dallas could find veterans on the open market to replace the roles left behind by Bullock and McGee if they don’t think the No. 10 pick will be capable of making an immediate impact.

"If you can think about getting Ayton without giving up a first, I would think you would at least want to consider that," Stein said.

Though the perception of Ayton may not be what it once was, he's still only 24-years old, and with a change of scenery and playing alongside Luka Doncic, he may just be able to reach his ceiling as Dallas' new anchor.

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Published Jun 21, 2023

MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.