The Damian Lillard trade to the Milwaukee Bucks changed the entire dynamics of the Eastern Conference. Jrue Holiday went from the Bucks to the Portland Trail Blazers to the Boston Celtics within hours. One trade that went under the radar was DeAndre Ayton. The former Phoenix Suns star joined Portland, and he recently faced Kevin Durant and his other former teammates in a pre-season matchup.

Talking on the Knuckleheads Podcast, an NBA veteran, gave his thoughts on why Ayton never really worked out for the Suns and why he eventually left.

NBA veteran gives his thoughts on the DeAndre Ayton trade

DeAndre Ayton was projected to be the next big thing a few seasons ago. The Phoenix Suns drafted him as the #1 overall pick during the 2018 NBA draft. After five seasons and an NBA finals trip, he was traded to the Portland Trailblazers.

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Over the past few seasons, Ayton has looked all over the place. Even NBA veteran Amar’e Stoudemire is of the same belief. In fact, he believes Ayton fell out of favor with Kevin Durant and others because of one big reason. The 24-year-old lacked the aggression required in the game.

“It wasn’t working. I think Ayton probably wasn’t as aggressive on the inside that the guys wanted him to be. When you 7-foot in the paint, you gotta dunk, you gotta dominate”, said Stoudemire on the podcast.

This seemed to be the problem with Ayton all along. Although he was one of the highest-paid players on the Phoenix Suns roster, he lacked the determination on the court. The Suns fanbase was enraged when Ayton seemed very casual during a high-pressure play against the Denver Nuggets. Instead of attacking the rim and using his height advantage, he was a bystander when the rest of the players fought for possession.

Kevin Durant comes off the bench to destroy DeAndre Ayton

The Suns took on the Portland Trailblazers recently in a preseason matchup. There were a number of familiar faces for Ayton who faced his former team.

Although Portland had a great start to the match, halftime changes proved pivotal for the Suns. Two time NBA champion Kevin Durant came off the bench and helped his team win the game 122-111. He had 14 points in limited minutes. Interestingly, Jusuf Nurkic, who was a part of the Ayton deal, won the battle of centers during this matchup.

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What are your predictions for the Phoenix Suns next season? Let us know in the comments below.