It looked as though, for a moment, the DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns controversy had gone to a close.
The Suns brought back Ayton by matching his agreement on a massive contract with the Indiana Pacers this past summer. The deal made him the third highest-paid center at 30 million dollars, behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. The Suns were hesitant to extend their 2018 first-overall pick last summer because they reportedly believed they could get a similar player at a better price.
Although the Suns and Ayton agreed on a massive deal, Ayton seemed aloof to the teams’ commitment to him. When reporters asked him about the deal, he said, “I’m here,” When he was asked if he was happy in Phoenix, Ayton added, “I’m alright.” Ayton also revealed that he hasn’t spoken with Coach Monty Williams since he was benched in Game 7 of their semifinal series against the Dallas Mavericks for “internal reasons.”
“I haven’t spoken to Monty,” Ayton said definitively. “I haven’t spoken to him at all. Ever since the game.”
When Ayton was asked what he would say to Williams, he said the following.
“I can show him better than I could tell him,” Ayton said.
Asked if he’s happy here in Phoenix, DA said “Yeah, I’m all right.”
Asked what he’d want to say to Monty, he replied, “I can show him better than I can tell him.”
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) September 27, 2022
When Williams was asked about what the apparently disgruntled Ayton said, the reigning Coach of the Year said he hasn’t spoken to a lot of guys over the summer.
“As I said earlier this summer, they needed a break from me, the gym,” Williams said. “Unless you are in the gym, like every day I’ve had interactions with everybody but talking to guys about deep stuff, there’s a number of guys I haven’t talked to. I think when you’ve been around our group as much as we have the last three years with (the) first year, the bubble, condensed seasons, I felt like guys needed a break; even when guys were in the gym, I wouldn’t come downstairs just cause I wanted them to get a break from me.”
“I haven’t talked to a lot of guys.”
Monty Williams addressing Deandre Ayton saying the two haven’t talked since Game 7. #Suns pic.twitter.com/hDSFVuRAiK
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 27, 2022
In the 58 games he played last season, Ayon averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on 63.4 percent shooting from the field.
Ayton and Williams will have a chance to hash out any problems they have as training camp rolls along. Their harmony will help determine the success of the franchise this season.
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