Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
With the Detroit Pistons trading for center Jalen Duren in the draft, it’s unclear if that could affect the team’s pursuit of Deandre Ayton as a primary free agent target. Duren, who won’t turn 19 until November, is a raw talent and needs time to develop. Pistons general manager Troy Weaver has always been enamored with Ayton, dating back to 2017, a league source familiar with Weaver’s thinking told HoopsHype.
The Atlanta Hawks are among the teams interested in Ayton and have a potential sign-and-trade chip in center Clint Capela, who had career-highs in points (16.6) and field goal percentage (.652) playing alongside Chris Paul during their two seasons on the Rockets.
The San Antonio Spurs have the cap space flexibility to make a potential run at Ayton in restricted free agency and have center Jakob Poeltl, who averaged a career-high 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds last season, as a possible sign-and-trade chip. Poeltl is entering the final year of his deal at $9.4 million.
Privately, some around the league wondered if the Indiana Pacers would make sense for Ayton in a sign-and-trade with Myles Turner. Both players are represented by agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports. Turner, arguably the league’s top shot blocker, would represent a defensive upgrade for the Suns entering a contract season. However, some wonder if Indiana would be willing to spend max money on a center amid a rebuild.
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was reportedly interested in playing with Ayton. However, Portland kept Jusuf Nurkic through the trade deadline with the intention of re-signing him in free agency this summer, which remains the case a week before free agency begins, league sources told HoopsHype.