Deandre Ayton's future with the Phoenix Suns has been a major talking point ever since their disappointing playoffs exit in the second round. However, if James Jones' comments are to be analyzed, it seems the team is leaving the door open for his potential return.
Ayton has been non-impactful for the Suns in their series defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, and sure enough, rumors about him departing the team spread like wildfire. Monty Williams' cryptic comments about the big man only fueled the speculations as well, with the veteran head coach refusing to show support to the youngster and only noting that they are going to deal with his contract situation this summer.
Jones, for his part, was a bit more complimentary of Ayton as he highlighted that the former no. 1 overall pick “had a great season.” While he was in the same tune with Williams when it comes to discussing the contract of Ayton, he did say the Suns want continuity.
“We'll address them at the proper time, but we want to continue to keep our consistency, our continuity,” Jones said, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.
Of course that doesn't mean the Suns are going to keep Deandre Ayton, but it is quite clear they are going to explore their options and do what is best for the Suns. Put simply, they won't be trading Deandre just for the sake of parting ways with him.
Ayton is a restricted free agent this offseason, so the Suns have complete control of his destiny. They can match any offer sheet he signs or do a sign-and-trade deal if they want. Regardless of what they do, however, NBA fans will surely be all eyes on the team as they navigate a tough offseason.
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