Monty Williams Vouches for Relationship With Deandre Ayton

Suns coach Monty Williams cleared the air between he and Deandre Ayton in a interview with SiriusXM radio.

The Phoenix Suns captured the attention of mostly everybody in the basketball world, mostly due to the free agency of center Deandre Ayton over the summer. 

The rumor mill churned at record pace for where Ayton, Phoenix's lone No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, would play next. 

Many didn't believe Ayton would return, with a large portion of that due to what was reportedly a fractured relationship between Ayton and head coach Monty Williams. 

Ayton was benched in the third quarter of Phoenix's Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and when asked about the decision following the game, Williams said the move was for "internal" reasons. 

That, along with Ayton's potential price tag, didn't bode well for his future with the team.

Yet here we are, with Ayton's offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers (four-year, $133 million) signed the moment Phoenix received word of it. 

In a interview with Andscape earlier in July, Ayton described his relationship with Williams as "calm".

Williams went on SiriusXM NBA Radio and dove deeper into his relationship with Ayton:

Monty Williams Sets Record Straight on Relationship With Deandre Ayton

"You know, I've heard all that stuff second and third-hand, all the narratives. The bottom line is I have to coach. All of our players will tell you that I coach everybody. When I have to make a move like that, it's me calling them up," said Williams. 

"It's never personal, and I think DA said it best when he did an interview. Our relationship is calm. I've invested a lot of time into the player and the person. When I do something like that, it's because I want what's best for you. But I also have to try my best to hold everybody accountable at the same time. There are times when I wish could have handled things a little bit differently. I will take it myself. 

"But our relationship, I don't know where all that stuff is coming from. I have a great relationship with all of our guys. I think I've built up enough equity with every player on our team. They know how much I care about them and how much I love them. But I also have to coach them."

“Deandre Ayton said it best, our relationship is calm”

Phoenix head coach, Monty Williams, tells @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 that he hears all the narratives in regards to the way he coaches Ayton, but that’s the way he coaches all of his players. pic.twitter.com/qal5SkgXeb

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 26, 2022

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