During the summer, a number of NBA journalists reported that the Phoenix Suns were shopping star center and former #1 overall pick Deandre Ayton following a brutal postseason performance that had many questioning the hustle of the Suns big man.
The rumors escalated following the blockbuster trade the sent All-Star Bradley Beal to the Suns from the Washington Wizards, especially given Ayton's massive contract.
One team consistently linked to Ayton were the Dallas Mavericks, who seemed like a fit and also seemed to have assets to put together a trade offer for Ayton.
Obviously, no trade materialized over the summer, and Ayton appears poised to embark on a new season with the Suns, and perhaps a new journey alltogether under the guidance of new head coach Frank Vogel, who has a reputation for developing centers and focusing on the defensive side of the court.
Now, we are hearing that the Mavericks not only were legitimately interested in acquiring Ayton from the Suns, but that they actually made a formal offer to the Suns in hopes of landing Ayton.
According to GOPHX's Gerald Bourguet, the Mavericks indeed made an offer:
"The Dallas Mavericks made an underwhelming offer for Ayton over the summer,” he wrote on sports social media this week.
While it is unknown what kind of offer the Mavericks made to Phoenix, it certainly wasn't enough to engage the Suns in deeper talks.
Rumors had players such as JaVale McGee, Richaun Holmes and even Tim Hardaway Jr. linked to a potential trade package, but it is unclear if any of these players were offered.
This will certainly continue to be discussed on sports talk podcasts and Ayton-trade rumors are likely to pop up again this upcoming season. Especially if Ayton doesn't turn things around.
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