Would you want the NY Knicks to trade for Deandre Ayton?
All I’m learning by writing this article is that there are a lot of Centers in the league who are either upset with their current teams or could be upset with them in the near future.
This final trade would be for Deandre Ayton, who was recently snubbed by the Suns on his rookie extension.
Basically, Ayton wanted max money, the Suns didn’t think he was worth that kind of cheddar just yet, so when the deadline to extend 2018 rookies came and went, Ayton was left without a new deal.
And understandably so.
Ayton hasn’t exactly proved he’s a max player just yet and one could argue that he’s maybe the 4th best player on the SUns today behind Booker, Paul, and Bridges.
I know that’s kinda crazy to say but I’m very high on Mikal Bridges and I think the Suns got a steal for him on his recent $90 million extension for 4 years.
This trade hurts.
My colleague Chris here at Daily Knicks also wrote an article recently as to why the Knicks should trade for Ayton, so I’ll double down on the concept while giving my take on whether they should consider it.
Ayton is a freak of nature. A modern-day Karl Malone-esque build.
Again, he offers more upside on offense than any of the Knicks’ current Centers but doesn’t give up as much on the defensive side of the ball as Marvin Bagley does.
One of the better rebounders and low-post scorers in the league, Ayton can also stretch the floor a little bit as well.
I’m not considering this trade for a few reasons.
Firstly, I really just wanna see how much better Obi can get in his limited minutes.
It’s safe to say he might not be with the Knicks long-term, but I’m hoping they can develop him enough to the point where the Knicks can net a nice trade package for him in the near future instead of being a simple throw-in for this trade.
Call me crazy but I think Obi might have a higher ceiling than Deandre Ayton and if the Knicks did this trade now, they’d lose out on realizing Obi’s full potential.
Second, it’s a lot of picks to give up for someone who’s not a bonafide Superstar but it’s also likely what a player of his talent would demand.
Third, I’m not paying Ayton max money if I’m the Knicks and if they gave up this much in a deal, they’d be forced to do so.
Verdict: Nope