Phoenix Suns fans were highly disappointed to find out that their team had fallen short once again this NBA postseason. While one could argue that injuries to Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton resulted in the Nuggets winning in 6 games, there is a fair share of the blame for the entire team and management.
Fans will be aware that the Suns have undergone a change in ownership. They also moved to acquire Kevin Durant to create a super team. However, that experiment doesn’t seem to have worked out. Within a day of the Suns’ season-ending, reports have already emerged that they are looking to move on from key starters such as CP3 and Ayton.
Should the Phoenix Suns trade Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton?
Although both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant underperformed during the final stretches of the second-round series against the Nuggets, CP3, and Deandre weren’t even healthy enough to be on the court. Instead of fighting till the last moment to save their team’s season, they merely watched it come to an end after cheering on their teammates from the bench.
Being eliminated after making it through one routine in the playoffs clearly isn’t the direction that Mat Ishbia and the Suns wanted to move in. Since they already have KD and Booker, it is highly likely for the Suns to keep them on while finding a way to move on from Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Chris Paul is clearly on the back end of his career and is unable to play to his full capabilities. He has been moved across the league several times with the hopes of winning a championship. However, with a consecutive second-round exit, his time with the Suns might just be over.
There is “wondering around the NBA” about whether Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul will be on the Suns’ roster next season.
Phoenix is expected to “aggressively” explore the trade market for Ayton this summer.
(via @espn_macmahon) pic.twitter.com/oybDybLa3x
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 12, 2023
On the other hand, Ayton is much younger and could potentially even elevate his play for his team. Unfortunately for him, there have been several critics claiming that he frequently looks uninterested or disconnected from the game. There have also been reports that he does not get along particularly well with his teammates.
In any case, this might just be the end for the current PhoenixSuns. Although having Booker and KD gives them a fighting chance, they will need to replace CP3 and Ayton with other suitable players in order to improve their chances of winning an NBA title.