Where Deandre Ayton's Future Currently Stands

The Suns will have two days to match any offer sheet Ayton signs with another team. Who will that be with?

We may be entering the final stretch of time where Deandre Ayton is still with the Phoenix Suns.

After an offseason plugged with numerous rumors and reports on his future, we're now ten days into NBA free agency and Ayton has yet to see his plans for next season materialize. 

Those plans (and motives) for both he and the Suns remain unknown at this time. All accounts suggest Phoenix is willing to wipe their hands clean of their former No. 1 pick, but not for free on the open market. Carrying a tag as a restricted free agent, Ayton can have any offer matched by the Suns. 

If the mass reports suggesting the Suns wanting to move on are true, Phoenix will be looking to deal Ayton in a potential sign-and-trade with another team. 

Prior to free agency, a plethora of teams were thought to have had serious interest in Ayton's services. However, that's yet to be the case.

Deandre Ayton's Complications

Ayton would be a prime candidate to be involved in a deal that would see the Suns land Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, although there are a few complications holding up the process. 

For starters, Brooklyn reportedly is not interested in Ayton. He, of course, would be a crucial point in any trade between the Nets and Suns. A third team (that would essentially take on Ayton) is likely to be needed in order for Durant to be shipped to the Valley. 

When it comes to a sign-and-trade, there are a few rules that need to be followed: 

1. The free agent in the trade has to sign off on the deal ( for his new destination)
2. However, that player can't sign an offer sheet prior to a sign-and-trade with the same team that trades for him
3. If the player returns to their initial team, they can't be traded for six months. 
4. If a team acquires a player via sign-and-trade, they will be hard-capped, meaning they can't go above the tax apron.

When you factor in BYC (base year compensation) when matching salaries for his new deal, that makes the list of teams being able to afford Ayton fairly short at this point in time: San Antonio and Indiana.

With only the Spurs and Pacers having real cap space left, and a sign & trade difficult to make work due to BYC issues, it's getting hard to find homes for the top two RFAs left on the market: Deandre Ayton & Collin Sexton.

SAS & IND are ideal "third team in" trade partners.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 10, 2022

Latest on Deandre Ayton's Free Agency Moves

Interest from San Antonio certainly exists, although Indiana appears to a hot destination at this time.

On ESPN's "Get Up" show, NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes the Pacers could potentially make a push for Ayton:

"The Indiana Pacers are seriously considering giving (Ayton) an offer sheet. They're also interested in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns potentially involving Myles Turner," said Windhorst. "But holding everything up is the Suns' negotiations for Kevin Durant, which are probably not going to end soon. Ayton may have to move on and do his own deal."

The Suns (and the rest of the league) may be waiting to see where Durant ultimately plays next season before resuming serious business. 

Windhorst also confirmed on his podcast that Ayton has indeed made contact with other teams. 

"So now we have Deandre Ayton out there, who I know for a fact... I have been told, Ayton has met with other teams that are not involved in potential (Kevin) Durant negotiations. And I don't know if those teams have made formal offers, I'm not saying he's sitting. But if you're Deandre Ayton, you're kind of being held up by this. And you have a exit route, that's what I'm watching," said Windhorst. 

Ayton's exit feels as if it's approaching, at least according to Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro.

I do believe we are close to a resolution on Deandre Ayton maybe even by tomorrow. Indiana has the cap space and I’ve heard rumblings of them signing him to an offer sheet. I’ve also heard Toronto has some interest but I do not know at what level.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 7, 2022

Although that tweet was days ago, those words could be coming to fruition after Indiana finalized their trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston on Saturday. The Pacers are reportedly just around $2 million short of the cap allowing for a max deal. 

For now, the entire basketball world appears to be on pause as teams across the league await the final verdict for Durant. 

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