The writing appears to be on the wall for Deandre Ayton and his time with the Phoenix Suns.

Reports have continued to trickle out that Ayton and veteran point guard Chris Paul could well be on their way out of Arizona. ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson confirmed the same thing.

“Everything I've heard and seen, Deandre Ayton is gone,” said Richard Jefferson on NBA Today with Kendrick Perkins and Malika Andrews.

For Cp3, his contract is non-guaranteed which means the team can opt to just waive him outright. For Ayton, fresh off his long-term extension, the Suns would have to find a willing suitor in a trade. But as Jefferson mentions, it's really not all bad for Phoenix. It could legitimately be the move that puts the Kevin Durant-Devin Booker era over the edge.

“So if Deandre Ayton is gone, he's still a 20 and 10 center that's 24 years old. There are going to be teams that are investing in him. If you can get a dominant wing defender, if you can get two players for Deandre Ayton … now all of a sudden, a team that was very top-heavy, now they've put themselves in a position [to add depth].”

Jefferson continued by emphasizing the Suns's new ownership group led by Mat Ishbia. He was the driving force behind the move to acquire Kevin Durant in the first place. It's hard to imagine he'd suddenly become less aggressive after making one of the biggest trades in franchise history.

Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul could potentially be in other uniforms next season. There's a scenario where it all leads to an even more dominant Suns team.