NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis To Phoenix Suns For Package Centered On DeAndre Ayton, Per ‘AZCentral.com’
After suffering another disappointing season, the Phoenix Suns must be aware that just adding veterans won’t be enough to make a huge noise in the deep Western Conference. If they want to change the narrative in the 2019-20 NBA season, the Suns should prioritize acquiring an established superstar who can play alongside the face of the franchise, Devin Booker.
Though they don’t have a better collection of trade assets than the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Suns should still consider joining the pursuit of New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis next summer. In an appearance on the Shot Clock on Friday, Greg Moore and Duane Rankin of AZCentral.com discussed the possibility that the Suns could use former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton as the main trade chip to acquire Davis from the Pelicans.
“I mean anything is possible… Monty Williams knows Anthony Davis. Monty Williams is here. I am sure he would like to continue that relationship or resume that relationship. Anthony Davis has grown as a player… and it might work. But, boy you are talking about trading away last year’s top pick whom you were building a franchise supposedly around.”
Trading DeAndre Ayton is undeniably a tough decision for the Suns, but it will be worth if it means acquiring a player of Anthony Davis’ caliber. Davis will tremendously boost the Suns’ performance on both ends of the floor, giving them an All-Star center who can knock down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 26-year-old big man averaged 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals on 51.7 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent shooting from the three-point range.
The Zion Williamson-Anthony Davis decision Knicks could face https://t.co/iOBLkGsNNf pic.twitter.com/uvNlYhkZLW
— New York Post (@nypost) May 11, 2019
AZCentral.com‘s Duane Rankin explained the pros of trading for Anthony Davis. Rankin believes that the tandem of Davis and Devin Booker has the chance of making the Suns one of the best offensive teams in the league next season.
“Now you can play an even more open game. You don’t have that post guy down there. You’ve got Davis. He can do so much, he can play on the perimeter, he shoots the three, he can handle the ball.”
Meanwhile, in exchange for Anthony Davis, the Pelicans will receive a young and promising center, DeAndre Ayton, who could potentially be the next face of the franchise. Ayton may not be a frontrunner to win the Rookie of the Year award, but he still managed to established an outstanding performance in the 2018-19 NBA season. In 71 games he played, Ayton averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds on 58.5 percent shooting from the field.
