Oft-injured Boston Celtics big ‘as good as it gets’ in trade of ex-No. 1 overall pick
Oft-injured Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams III is “as good as it gets” for the Phoenix Suns in any trade of their former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton according to Valley of the Suns’s Luke Duffy.
“(Williams) may be as good as it gets for the Suns if they trade Ayton, and there’s still a lot to like,” Duffy prefaced before saying, “The fit, the style of play and making less money so he could be moved in future if needed are all there. To move on from Ayton, as the organization seem to want to do given the persistent rumors, may also be the best course of action at this point as well.”
Boston, after the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis, desperately needs to avoid handing out another $30 million-plus to another member of the frontcourt. Especially for the wrong fit…
Deandre Ayton should not be on the Boston Celtics’ radar
Attitude problems from Ayton have been rumored to have torn apart the Monty Williams-coached Phoenix Suns, with Chris Paul in particular not having the best relationship with the former Arizona star.
Very interesting note on Deandre Ayton:
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 29, 2022
“The relationships between him and Phoenix's other primary actors—most notably head coach Monty Williams and point guard Chris Paul—seem untenable for an Ayton return.” https://t.co/RJxnBVWfYl
Adding that to a Boston Celtics locker room that has been known to implode in the last several years with the current core minus Marcus Smart sounds like adding Mentos to Diet Coke.
Ayton, while supremely talented in a vacuum, especially offensively, has been known to seemingly lack effort while the lights are burning brightest. Boston doesn’t need the antithesis of a big-game player at this point.
Had the Cs not added Porzingis, who is best suited for the center position, Ayton would make sense as a gamble. His skills could translate to greater team success than he has seen in the right situation. But next to Porzingis, the Celtics can only offer a very wrong situation.
Perhaps in 2026 free agency, things may be different if Ayton is no longer a near-max contract player. But as of right now, it’s a no from the Houdini, dawg.