The Suns’ decision to match Deandre Ayton’s offer sheet from the Pacers on Thursday has reportedly cast sizable doubt over the club’s chances of landing Kevin Durant.
In the aftermath of Phoenix opting to retain Ayton after he signed a four-year, $133 million offer with Indiana, there is now a growing belief that the Suns’ inability to use the former No. 1 overall pick as an asset in any potential deals until next year may have eliminated them from the KD sweepstakes. Ayton, 23, cannot be traded until Jan. 15 and will have the power to veto any trade for a full year.