Opinion: Why Phoenix Suns trading Deandre Ayton to Portland is best thing for him

Watching a passionate Deandre Ayton bark at his Bahamas teammates during a timeout in an Olympic pre-qualifying tournament this summer in Argentina left me thinking two things.

One, look at how firm and direct he is. Never seen this side of him.

Two, he and the Phoenix Suns need to part ways so he can be the guy on an NBA team.

That time has arrived.

Phoenix dealt its starting big, who averaged a double-double in his five NBA seasons, to Portland in a three-team deal Wednesday and got 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic in return from the Trail Blazers.

Damian Lillard is now in Milwaukee teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Heat all-everything Jimmy Butler is calling for the league to investigate for tampering and Ayton is starting fresh with the Blazers.

This is for the best for Ayton. It's a wake-up call and a new opportunity.

He needs to be a focal point on a team, have a bigger voice – and more responsibility.

By being traded to Portland, Ayton will have plenty of opportunities to payback Phoenix this season.

The Suns and Blazers face each other six times, with two matchups coming in the preseason – Oct. 12 in Portland and Oct. 16 in Phoenix.

Looking forward to seeing how Ayton, the Blazers, the Suns and the fans act, or act up, Nov. 21 when he returns to Footprint Center for the first time in the regular season.

It’ll be entertaining for sure, but it’s time for Ayton to shoulder the burden – or embrace the honor – of having to deliver on the floor every night and answer why they lost and what he could’ve done better.

He needs Blazers coach Chauncey Billups to design plays for him to score and make decisions. Experience trial and error. Make mistakes, be held accountable, but know the ball is still coming his way.

Then, with the game on the line, coach, go to the big fella.

“HEY FELLAS! WE HAVE THE BALL! DOWN ONE, 21 SECONDS LEFT! WE’RE GOING TO D.A.! WATCH FOR DOUBLE! GOT SHOOTERS OUT HERE! LET’S GO D.A.! LET’S GO GUYS!”

Ayton needs to leave a team huddle realizing it’s on him to handle the moment, live with the results and be ready for that same situation the next game – and the next game and the game after that.

That onus was never consistently placed on him in Phoenix and never was going to be.

This was Devin Booker’s team when Ayton arrived and is even more so now. As good as Booker was in 2018-19, he is a far better player now with improved leadership and playmaker qualities.

Plus, his supermax deal is set to kick in next season – four years, $224 million.

As Bradley Beal put it during his introductory press conference, Phoenix is “Book Nation.”

If Ayton had played to his potential or the standard of being the top pick, he and Booker may have become the 1-2 punch the Suns envisioned when drafting him, but he didn’t.

The reasons for that are endless, but it starts with a mixture of himself, coaching, role, trust, or lack thereof, and organizational decisions.

Regardless of the how and why, the Suns felt the need to trade for Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Beal to keep the franchise moving forward.

If they were getting 24 points, 12 boards and consistent play out of Ayton by, say, the end his third season, maybe the Suns don’t feel compelled to make the kind of moves that’s left them with Booker being the only player from the 2021 NBA finals squad still on the team.

The Blazers aren’t a title contender right now, but they have some talent.

Anfernee Simons can ball and Jerami Grant has been a 20-plus scorer. Matisse Thybulle defends and third overall pick, Scoot Henderson, is the heir apparent to Lillard.

Those four, plus Ayton, should be Portland’s starters with Shaedon Sharpe sixth man.

Henderson is the future, but Ayton can come in and show he’s that dude who can deliver 20 and 20, run the floor and finish, switch out and stay in front of guards and play with a high, continual motor – and not just every third game or when looking to make amends after a poor performance.

He needs to be what his best was in Phoenix – and more.

Initiate contact and get to the line more than once or twice a game.

Embrace that sore, aching feeling that comes with putting his body on the line, take care of his God-given body and impose his will on opponents.

Have the world hate him for giving cats the business, not because some feel he lacks heart.

It’s not about his nickname, DominAyton, anymore.

It’s about becoming what Ayton believes he can be – one of the league’s best.

Time for Ayton to own that, put in the extra work and hold himself to a higher standard.

If his game is going to expand to where he’s starts scoring off the bounce and hitting 3s, this is the time.

If he’s going to become an All-Star, Portland, right now, is the place.

The Blazers are rebuilding, but if they’re competitive, play above expectations and Ayton has a huge say in that, he’ll be in the All-Star conversation.

Ayton was Phoenix’s most polarizing player.

His supporters ride with him until the rims crack and rust out. They defend Ayton to the death and blame everyone else for his shortcomings. They’ve never felt Ayton was utilized the right way.

His haters loved it when he came up small.

They always felt as if Ayton didn’t have the competitive fire and continue to criticize the Suns for not drafting Luka Doncic No. 1 in 2018 instead of him.

What’s crazy is Ayton will remain a polarizing figure in the Valley.

If Phoenix wins a championship this season, Ayton’s haters will say this trade put the Suns over the top. Nurkic will be a goat here for life.

If Phoenix falls short again, Ayton’s lifers will swear the Suns would’ve brought home their first chip had they kept him.

A middle ground exists. Even extremists know that.

Maybe rationality will kick in one day when it comes to Ayton.

If it does, both sides will hopefully agree trading Ayton was the best thing for him.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Opinion why Phoenix Suns trading Deandre Ayton to Portland best thing for him