Deandre Ayton’s time in Portland hasn’t gone as many would have thought since his fresh start, and according to reports, it’s been rocky from the start.”His first few months in Portland were characterized by tardiness and tantrums, according to team sources. And there’s an eerie resemblance to Hassan Whiteside, the former Blazers center whose stats looked good but had little or no impact on the game,” reports Jason Quick of The Athletic..Ayton is averaging a career-low 13.8 points in 34 games this season for the 15-36 Blazers,
who are 14th in the Western Conference. However, he stated earlier this season that “I have nothing to prove in this league. I am a maximum player and I will continue to be a maximum player.”The Suns signed Ayton to a four-year, $133 million contract through July 2022 after the big man originally signed with the Indiana Pacers. The former overall pick was traded to the Blazers in Phoenix after the season on September 27.Most notably, Ayton helped the Suns reach the 2021 NBA Finals. During that run, he had one of the best games in team history, now known as the “Valley Oop.
“But Ayton’s inconsistent play with the Suns had fans clamoring for a big man trade for a while, but more so than ever after a rough finish to the 2022-23 season. This was highlighted by the benching of Ayton in the team’s last playoff series against the Nuggets.In all, Ayton played 303 regular season games for Phoenix, starting 296. He averaged 16.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and one block on 59.7 percent shooting over five seasons in the Valley.Apparently he hasn’t changed his behavior at all in Portland.* Get the BEST Phoenix sports information, exclusive content and access to our newsletter! REGISTER HERE to access our premium content!*Brendan Mau is a senior writer for Burn City Sports Phoenix Suns and more. You can follow him at X @Brendan_Mau.
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