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

It’s still too early to know what offseason plans are going on in the Phoenix Suns’ front office, but the rumblings that they will look at potentially pursuing DeMar DeRozan in a trade aren’t all that difficult to believe. DeRozan would create a big three for the team (assuming Chris Paul is on his way out) where he is joined by Booker and Durant. This would make for a fearsome trio where any given day, any of them can break out for 40 points in a game.

This would make the Suns an incredible offensive team, just like in the Vucevic trade, while adding a leader and incredible locker room presence to the team. There are definitely plenty of positives for the Suns when looking at this deal, even though it would be just one guaranteed year of DeRozan.

If the Bulls believe Ayton still has untapped potential, they could swing a trade to retool around the young core.

With their disappointing performance against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Phoenix Suns have now had two straight exits in the second round of the playoffs immediately after their 2021 NBA Finals appearance against the Milwaukee Bucks. They are currently in crisis mode, as the decision to expend high amounts of capital to become contenders is backfiring and they are left with a closing title window. A big splash like a trade for DeRozan is one that they would easily be attracted to, but they do not have the assets to give the Bulls an incentive to allow DeMar to leave.

The Bulls’ front office is likely going to hear other teams out about potential DeRozan trades, as he could easily be in high demand for contenders. It is also likely that any package the Suns’ offer surrounding Deandre Ayton will not be better than that of other teams, which means that even if the Bulls do decide to trade DeMar, he probably will not be sent to the Suns.

Overall, the Chicago Bulls should not be trading for Deandre Ayton, as he is a bad fit with the team and is not worth the likely asking price that the Suns are requesting. If the Bulls are forced to trade Vooch or DeRozan in order to get the Ayton, they cannot take that deal.