The Deandre Ayton era in Phoenix is over.
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, sources confirmed to The Arizona Republic on Wednesday afternoon.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first tweeted the news on Wednesday. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also confirmed the trade on Wednesday.
Ayton averaged a double-double in each of his five seasons with the Suns, but the top pick in the 2018 draft was one of four max players on the team, with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal being the other three.
With Ayton gone, Booker is the only remaining player on the Suns’ 2020-21 team that reached the Finals.
The Blazers receive Bucks All-Star guard Jrue Holiday, their 2029 first-round pick and a pick swap, and the Suns’ second-round picks Toumani Camara and Ayton.
The Suns are getting Blazers center Jusef Nurkic as part of the trade, which also includes Nassir Little, Keon Johnson and Grayson Allen. Little and Johnson are from Portland, while Allen was with Milwaukee.
Nurkic will fill Phoenix’s void at center left by trading Ayton. Nurkic has completed the second year of his four-year, $70 million contract as he is due $16.8 million this season.
Ayton is on the second four-year, $133 million contract as he is due $32.4 million.
Full trade, per source:
– Money: Damian Lillard
– Blazers: Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Bucks 2029 first-round pick and Bucks pick swap
– Suns: Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, Grayson Allen https://t.co/56I888abMs— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 27, 2023
Allen is in the final year of a two-year, $18.7 million contract as he will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season. So Allen is on an expiring contract, a situation that helps the Suns move forward financially.
Little is in the first year of his four-year, $28 million contract extension, while Johnson is on a four-year deal worth $12.5 million.
The Blazers exercised their club option when Johnson entered his final season. There is a club option for Johnson’s final year in 2024-25 as he will be a restricted free agent.
Nurkic was a teammate of Suns star Drew Eubanks, who played for the Blazers last season. The Suns signed Eubanks in the offseason.
The Suns had 15 standard players and two two-way players before the trade.
With two players heading to Portland and Phoenix receiving four players in return, the Suns currently have 17 players in training camp, which begins Tuesday.
NBA teams are required to have 15 standard players immediately before the start of the regular season. The Suns open the regular season on October 24th at Golden State.
According to Spotrac, the Suns are still over the second tax limit of $182.5 million, but will have less of a financial burden going forward without Ayton.
(This is a developing story, return to azcentral.com for updates.)
Do you have an opinion on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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