Why interest in Deandre Ayton on the trade block is bad sign for Bulls

Deandre Ayton, Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Deandre Ayton, Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls and DeAndre Ayton, Phoenix Suns. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

If the Chicago Bulls would trade for Deandre Ayton, one intriguing option would be in return for Nikola Vucevic. This would provide a center swap that would benefit the Suns more than it would the Bulls, as Vucevic could bring additional offense to the table while being a stronger presence on the boards.

Vooch has consistently been among the league leaders in rebounds, averaging 11 over the past two years with the Bulls. He also can shoot from long range, which adds another wrinkle to the Phoenix offense. With Vucevic, the Suns would be able to space the floor and give Devin Booker and Kevin Durant room to work inside the arc. This would give the Suns a better option at center and while they may sacrifice some defense and rim protection, Phoenix would become a juggernaut on the offensive end.

Swapping centers would be the easiest way for the Bulls to get an Ayton deal done.

There is one reason why the Suns may be somewhat weary of this deal, and that would be for cap space reasons. It is likely that Phoenix will be reluctant to spend too much on a center, especially since they owe about $83 million combined to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker next year.

This means that they will likely have to sacrifice somewhere, and that could mean that they sign a cheaper big man. This is especially true since Vucevic would likely be signed for around $20 million in his next contract, considering his age and current value he adds to NBA teams.

With this in mind, the Phoenix Suns may attempt to make a trade for a different position, and considering Ayton’s contract, that would likely be with one of the Bulls’ more higher-paid players.