The Hawks have been in the middle of almost every rumor leading up to the NBA Draft. There are a plethora of different directions Travis Schlenk and company might go, but one name they appear extremely interested in is Deandre Ayton. According to a recent report, the Hawks are one of two teams — the other being the Detroit Pistons — most connected to the Suns center.
The Pistons and Hawks are the teams most connected to pursuing Deandre Ayton, per @KevinOConnorNBA.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 22, 2022
Ayton is looking for a max contract, and all signs point towards Phoenix being hesitant to give it to him. However, if they do end up parting ways with the former #1 overall pick, a sign-and-trade seems like a no-brainer. The Suns aren’t just going to let one of their most important pieces leave for free, and Ayton can receive the full five-year max worth $170 million in a sign-and-trade.
There may be some questions about whether Ayton is worth that type of contract, but there is no questioning the soon-to-be 24-year-old’s talent. With Trae Young running the point, Ayton would be a walking 20 and 10, and he would easily become the Hawks second-best scoring option. However, it’s fair to wonder just how much better of an option he is over Clint Capela. If the Hawks do pull the trigger on the trade, it’s all about upside, but to this point, Ayton hasn’t played like a max contract player.
For more on the latest Hawks rumors, check out the SportsTalkATL Podcast — available via all podcast platforms or through our YouTube channel. Both are linked below.
Short Bonus Episode of the podcast breaking down the most recent Hawks rumors now available on podcast platforms https://t.co/qBerPlIn9z
— SportsTalkATL.com (@SportsTalkATL) June 21, 2022
You must log in to post a comment.