Former Suns Center Deandre Ayton: 'I Have Nothing to Prove'

Former Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton is chillin.

PHOENIX -- Former Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has already reached the pinnacle of his basketball career.

Those are his words - not ours. 

“I got nothing to prove in this league,” Ayton told Basketball Intelligence. “I’m a max player, and I’ll continue to be a max player.”

Ayton - who was traded from Phoenix to the Portland Trail Blazers prior to the start of the season - was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft ahead of names such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among others. 

Ayton was a restricted free agent entering the 2022-23 season and initially was offered by the Indiana Pacers before the Suns decided to match the deal, keeping him in Phoenix. 

The Suns saw his true potential flash only a handful of times and ultimately decided to part ways. 

Now, Phoenix touts Jusuf Nurkic in the middle, a move nearly everybody in the organization has been pleased with upon arrival. 

Yet perhaps the biggest addition from the trade has been Grayson Allen, who has not only cemented himself as a starter but also as a key component to Phoenix's success. 

The Suns are 25-18 on the season while the Trail Blazers are just 12-31.