Ever since he signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers in 2022, it seemed like Deandre Ayton's departure from the Phoenix Suns was inevitable. This offseason, Ayton finally got his wish of getting a fresh start, as he was included in the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade, going from the Suns to the Portland Trail Blazers.

On a new team and facing a new opportunity to reinvent his game, the former first overall pick has embraced his role as a leader for one of the younger teams in the league during the preseason. Ayton is happy to be in Portland and finally be a focal point for once, yet his past with the Suns continues to be a talking point, especially since he is set to face them in the Blazers' next preseason game.

On Wednesday, Ayton was questioned about his thoughts on facing the Suns and what kind of emotions he feels going into this matchup. Portland's big man was not too pleased when he heard his former team get brought up.

“There are no thoughts at all,” Ayton firmly stated, via Aaron Fentress from The Oregonian. “I don't want to talk about them. They told me I was going to talk about the game I played yesterday, so… I thought we were talking about the game I played yesterday.”

Ayton avoided all questions pertaining to Phoenix and gave zero thoughts on what his “revenge game” will be like mentally and emotionally.

It appears as if things did not end too great between Ayton and the Suns. Ever since their run to the NBA Finals in 2021, there seemed to be a level of tension between the center and the organization for unknown reasons. Ayton, a key contributor during the Suns' run to the NBA Finals, had established himself as one of the better double-double threats in the league.

However, his desire to be a focal point for his team on offense eventually led to his frustrations mounting, especially since his touches and overall production continued to decline with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant always running the offense.

While not made public, many around the league believe that Ayton requested a trade from the Suns this offseason, which is why they felt the need to get involved in the Lillard trade and pursue veteran center Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazers.

Whether or not this trade request was indeed true, Ayton still got his wish of wanting a fresh start with a new role. In Portland, he will undoubtedly be a focal point for them on offense. From pick-and-roll sets to posting up in the paint, Ayton possesses all the tools to succeed next to agile guards such as Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson.

As for his rematch against the Suns, it will be interesting to see how Ayton interacts with Booker, Durant and others he used to play alongside. Thursday night's game preseason game against the Suns will be in Portland, but the two teams will play one another again before the start of the 2023-24 season on Monday, October 16 in Phoenix. This will mark Ayton's first time in the desert since the offseason trade.