Up and down: Here's a look at some of Deandre Ayton's best and worst moments as a Phoenix Sun

Deandre Ayton's days in Phoenix had some highs and lows.

The Suns' matched their starting center's four-year, $133 million max offer from the Indiana Pacers during the 2022 off-season, but Ayton remained the focus of trade rumors that continued during this past off-season. The rumors finally came to fruition on Wednesday, when it was confirmed the Suns have traded Ayton to Portland as part of a three-team deal that sent Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Here's a look back at some of the highs and lows of Ayton's five seasons with the Suns after he was drafted by the team as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft:

Best moments

Valley-oop, Ayton dominates 2021 postseason

He was "Domin-Ayton" during the 2021 playoffs. But it took just 0.9 seconds for Ayton to cement his placed in Phoenix sports history.

Ayton's most memorable play is his game-winning Valley-Oop at home to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-103, in the Western Conference Finals' Game 2 to lead the series 2-0.

The Suns' use of a catch-and-shoot play would've risked taking more time off the clock and losing the game. So coach Monty Williams ingeniously set up an out-of-bounds lob/dunk play for Ayton. After Ayton did a ghost screen for Cam Johnson on the left wing, Devin Booker pinned down Clippers big Ivica Zubac on a screen to free up Ayton's curl from near the left elbow toward the hoop. Then Jae Crowder threw the inbound pass from behind the basket's left side to Ayton to execute the play, which caused pandemonium and dropped jaws in the Footprint Center.

During the Suns' first run to the finals in 28 years, Ayton was the Suns' most efficient scorer who averaged 15.8 points on 65.8% shooting and added 11.8 rebounds. Ayton's outstanding field goal statistics in the paint placed him among Hall of Famers such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

Ayton's career-high 35 points - twice.

He did it on March 23, 2022 at Minnesota and added a game-high 14 rebounds along with three assists, one block and one steal in the 125-116 victory. He matched that career-high again last season, on Feb. 7, against the Brooklyn Nets.

Knicks fans see Ayton in "20-20" vision at Madison Square Garden

New York City is widely known as "The Mecca" of basketball. That's why many of the New York Knicks' opposing players such as Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Devin Booker have staged some of their greatest performances at The World's Most Famous Arena in Madison Square Garden.

Ayton did the same as he posted 26 points and 21 rebounds to help Phoenix defeat the Knicks, 121-98, on Jan. 16, 2020. That marked his solid start to the 2020 new year with a 20-20 double-double, and it was his second 20-20 game within a month. The 21 rebounds was his career high and he matched it twice more, on Oct. 27, 21 vs. Sacramento and Nov. 26, 2022 against Utah.

Ayton faces Devin Booker in NBA2K20 semifinals

In the final year of the Suns' 10-year playoff drought, the closest chance for them to win a title was in a video game tournament. In April 2020 during the league's regular season hiatus from the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayton battled his teammate and eventual champion Booker in the league's "NBA 2K20" semifinals, which aired live on ESPN.

Double-double

OK, this isn't one moment, but no assessment of Ayton can be complete without noting that he has averaged a double-double (scoring-rebounds) each of his five seasons in the NBA. Last year, he averaged 18-10 per game. That's valuabel in the NBA.

Worst moments

Ayton serves 25-game suspension to begin 2019-20 season

After the Suns' second-worst season ever winning just 19 games, the 2019-20 season was a new dawn for the Suns under then-new head coach Williams.

But dark clouds swiftly moved in over the team's season and Ayton as he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PED). On Oct. 24, 2019, one day after their Suns' season-opener against the Sacramento Kings, Ayton was hit with a 25-game suspension for "violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for a diuretic."

He didn't return until Dec. 17 at the L.A. Clippers.

"This was an unintentional mistake and unfortunately I put something in my body that I was completely unaware of," Ayton said. "I do understand the unfortunate impact that this has on so many others, and for that I am deeply sorry. I'm extremely disappointed that I've let my team down."

Giannis blocks Ayton's alley-oop dunk in finals

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Game 4 block on Ayton can be ranked as one of the best defensive plays in finals history. The Suns led the Bucks for much of the game until the Bucks made a fourth-quarter comeback and had a 101-99 lead with 1:16 left to play.

Booker got a hand-off from Ayton at the top of the key and Ayton rolled to the left side of the basket. As Booker dribbled right toward the lane, P.J. Tucker chased Booker from behind as he dribbled toward the lane. After two dribbles and a quick lob to Ayton, Antetokounmpo’s hedged toward Booker near the right elbow then somehow managed to miraculously rotated back toward Ayton to block his dunk attempt to tie the game.

The Suns never regained momentum after that play to win the game or the series. The Bucks tied the series at 2-2 before eventually winning it all in six.

Ayton, Williams have heated exchange on bench in 2022 Game 7 collapse

No one on the Suns played well in the decisive series closer against the Mavericks on May 15, 2022. But Ayton was the first starter to head to the bench for the remainder of the at 8:26 left to play.

After Ayton registered a season- and career-playoff low five points and four rebounds in just 17 minutes, Ayton could be seen yelling something in Williams' direction. The Suns coach found the comment egregious and reacted strongly. When The Republic asked during the postgame media session about Ayton being taken out, Williams came back with his infamous response, "It's internal."

Performance vs. Nikola Jokic in 2023 playoffs

The Suns ended last season much like the year before, with an embarassing home-court elimination, this time by the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals. The series was marked by Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic dominating the Suns in general, and Ayton specifically. Ayton ended up sitting that final game six with a rib injury suffered the previous game, but the numbers didn't lie: He scored a career playoff-low four points in Game 3 versus Denver and watched the final 4:57 from the bench. He averaged just 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds against the Nuggets in being painfully outplayed by Jokic, who led the Nuggest to the NBA title and was named MVP of the finals.

(The Republic's Chris Coppola contributed to this report).

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here's a look at Deandre Ayton's best, worst moments as a Phoenix Sun