(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns only have six players under contract right now.
Of course, it helps that three of those guys also happen to be some of the best scorers in the game, but not even Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant can win playing 3-on-5.
That’s why most people thought Deandre Ayton was the obvious casualty from the Beal trade, as his big contract could help them add some much-needed depth and give them plenty of financial flexibility.
That hasn’t been the case thus far, and judging by what Frank Vogel has had to say about him; it doesn’t seem like the Suns intend to move on from him at all.
“He’s an important piece to us winning a championship.”
-Frank Vogel says Deandre Ayton is still part of the @Suns‘ winning equation. pic.twitter.com/zYHQnIcr3R
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 27, 2023
Recently, Vogel told Jim Rome that he believes Ayton could play a huge part in their championship aspirations.
He lauded his size and physical traits, citing that he could be an elite rim protector and defensive anchor for them going forward.
Vogel has found plenty of success as a coach by bringing the most out of his big men, and most of them have been defensive-minded bigs, as opposed to Ayton.
But Ayton also proved that he could flip the switch and be a defensive anchor on a winning team during that run to the NBA Finals, but that was before his feud with Monty Williams and getting that big contract.
At the end of the day, it’ll all come down to whether Ayton is motivated and driven enough to buy into that role, as his recent effort — or lack thereof — was quite concerning.
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