Ayton has the tools and skills to be All NBA. Wouldn't happen in PHX with their current roster, however.
I’m still going to temper my expectations with him. I saw alot of encouragement with his face up game at the Olympics and just playing up to his draft position. But again, he was playing against nobodies. Since looking into Ayton on Suns forums, Ayton is notorious for having bad hands (confirmed based on his national team highlights…against those nobodies). In the NBA, alot of those balls would’ve been ripped from his hands. He also apparently is a turnover waiting to happen and cannot dribble. Maybe it’s a case of me falling in love with the highlights. When I see all those hook shots fall, I get encouraged. Then I see Suns fans growing tired of them. He’s already a 60-something% guy for FG%. Were Suns fans expecting his FG% to be higher? Or did they expect him to average more than 20ppg on just 13 shots? Based on a lot of those things, I don’t ever expect him to become All NBA. If a lot of those things are due to his game mentality, then it’s worth the risk because we have the time to try and figure out that part of his game in the next few years. He seems to be around 23-24ppg when he gets 16+ shots a game, and it’s usually on around 55% shooting). If he dunked the ball more as opposed to some of those hooks, maybe he gets there on closer to 60% like where he usually is at.
I remember Mychal Thompson another Bahamian was criticized for being to laid backed, and playing at times with a slow motor. There were times that he dominated and some times where he was perceived as not be aggressive enough. Also a #1 pick.
Was going to say, I have a good friend who covers the Suns that's made me sour on Ayton. He gets his hopes up, then gets dissapointed repeatedly. Didn't expect his video plugged haha.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, Nurk and Ayton has similar traits and are both equally frustrating for fan bases. Yet it makes me laugh those people who bash Nurk what Ayton lol. doesn’t make sense.
Anybody good at cutting video can create a ridiculous dis video on any player. I would say it would probably be pretty easy to put one together on Nurk. But I am pretty sure Aytons hilite video would be more impressive than Nurks just due to Ayton being able to move quickly.
Nurk has run his course here. Ayton hasn't. If we can get a motivated Ayton on an overachieving young team for a season or two then trade him at a premium for a more stable player we'd be maximizing our assets.
I kind of doubt the Blazers can do a stand-alone trade for Ayton. My hunch is he was part of a Dame trade in order for Phoenix to get substantial cap-relief Nurkic + Little + Keon/Murray works, but it only gives the Suns around 6.5M in cap-relief. Maybe that's enough considering the tax savings for the Suns (around 15M) and it would add some depth
I am more on board with Ayton than OG for numerous reasons. I think Scoot could have a good impact on Ayton. It'd cost less to get Ayton. He wouldn't get in the way of Scoot, Ant, or Sharpe. There wouldn't be the risk of him leaving for nothing next off-season. I think the best deal is something along the lines of this. POR Gets: Ayton, Lowry, Jovic, 2024 1st Round Pick (Least Favorable of OKC, LAC, HOU, or UTA [via IND]), 2028 & 2030 unprotected 1sts from MIA, 2027 & 2029 right to swap with MIA IND Gets: Herro, Wainwright PHX Gets: Nurkic, McConnell, Martin MIA Gets: Lillard, Hield Portland takes a chance on Ayton but still gets the upside of Jovic and future unprotected picks. Indiana apparently wants Herro. Phoenix apparently wants McConnell. Martin makes sense and could start. Nurk replaces Ayton. Miami can be coaxed into giving up more because they get Hield too. Maybe they'd even give up Jaquez to Indiana.
That'd get them below the supertax if my math is correct. I just don't think Little is good enough for them to do it.
It can be done and should be done. Phoenix is wanting to get a pg also. They can do that in another deal. They also need length.
Would be a win for Cronin's perception too. Holding out results in Ayton plus Miami giving up almost all their assets and he "does right" by Dame despite Dame only demanding that one team. I think the majority of the fanbase would be satisfied with that outcome.
Only change I would propose is Miami unlocking their 2024 pick as well. I'd like to extract three picks out of Miami, in addition to whatever we got for Herro.
Yeah, that'd be an even bigger win. Just don't know if OKC would play ball. I don't know how Miami says no to that when they're getting Lillard and Hield. That's a perfect haul for them.
