After spending his first five NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Deandre Ayton was sent packing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade nearly three weeks ago.
On Monday, he will return to Phoenix for a preseason game versus the Suns, who now have Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker and are being picked by some to reach the NBA Finals this season.
Per Tim MacMahon, Ayton is actually glad he was sent to Portland because he will be somewhere where he “can be valued and be appreciated.”
Deandre Ayton said he didn’t “feel anything” about his return to the Footprint Center, but he’s happy the Suns traded him to the Trail Blazers. pic.twitter.com/XphpVFXjiT
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 16, 2023
Ayton hasn’t made an All-Star team, but he has proven to be a very good player, as he has career averages of 16.7 points on 59.7 percent field-goal shooting and 10.4 rebounds a game.
He helped the Suns reach the 2021 NBA Finals, but he nearly left them last summer after signing an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, which Phoenix then matched to retain him.
In Portland, Ayton will now be a part of a young rebuilding team that just may surprise people.
After trading Lillard, as well as Jrue Holiday, whom it received from the Milwaukee Bucks for Lillard, Portland has a solid backcourt consisting of Anfernee Simons, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, and rookie Scott Henderson.
In the frontcourt, Ayton will team with Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III.
Fans should not count out the young Blazers this season — they could always have a real shot at reaching the play-in tournament, especially if Henderson has a strong rookie campaign.
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