Phoenix Suns big Deandre Ayton 'isn't really desired' by Brooklyn Nets in potential trade

The Phoenix Suns are atop Kevin Durant's trade wish list, but the Brooklyn Nets don't appear interested in restricted free agent Deandre Ayton.

That looks like a problem for the Suns acquiring Durant in a trade.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Thursday on First Take the Nets aren't really interested in the 23-year-old Ayton, who averaged 17.2 points on a career-best 63.4% shooting and 10.2 rebounds in helping Phoenix have the NBA's best record at 64-18 in the 2021-22 season.

Ayton turns 24 on July 23.

"It is well known within the league that Durant prefers to go to the Suns, but the Suns' package that they can offer is not really super impressive just because they can't trade Devin Booker," Windhorst said. "It doesn't make sense to trade Chris Paul. Deandre Ayton isn't really desired by the Nets."

Windhorst continued by saying the Heat, who is also top Durant's trade wish list, Raptors and Pelicans are "looking at the bar the Suns have to clear" to get a deal done.

"They only have to jump over that bar," Windhorst continued. "They don't have to meet the Nets bar and that delta is why the Nets are not making progress right now. That's why you hear the Nets saying if we can't get what we want, maybe we're just going to keep him, which is a negotiated position. It could be true, but that is a negotiating position."

The Nets couldn't trade for Booker because a team can't acquire two players signed to a designated rookie extension. Ben Simmons signed one while with Philadelphia before he was acquired by Brooklyn and Booker did the same with Phoenix.

The Suns just signed Booker Wednesday to a four-year, $224-million supermax extension that kicks in after his rookie max extension ends after the 2023-24 season.

Paul is the team's veteran starting All-Star point guard who will be in the second year of his four-year, $120-million deal.

So that leads to the question as to why the Nets aren't really interested in the 6-11 Ayton, who has averaged a double-double in his four NBA seasons?

First off, a sign-and-trade with Ayton involves a base compensation rule, which calls for a player's outgoing salary to be worth half of their new starting salary.

Adding a player such as Mikal Bridges or Cam Johnson and a third team can help that deal go through as Ayton could go to the third team, but then Phoenix's deal may not be strong enough for Brooklyn to take on even with multiple first-round picks.

Read more: Latest on Durant, Ayton, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets

WNBA: Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird grace NBA 2K23's WNBA edition cover

Seeing Utah get 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks and a 2026 first-round pick swap from Minnesota as part of a colossal deal for All-Star center Rudy Gobert has set a bar for Brooklyn to want the same type of draft haul for Durant.

In addition, Yahoo! Sports Chris Haynes and Vince Goodwill reported the Nets asked for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and four draft picks for Durant, but the Timberwolves declined the trade proposal.

Right now, the Nets don't appear to be in a rush to make a deal because they have Durant on a four-year, $198-million maximum extension without a player option.

Durant, 33, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.

The Durant trade request also seems to have frozen the entire free agency, but there's a consensus that will change during the NBA Summer League that begins Thursday in Las Vegas because team executives will convene there and have face-to-face talks.

If the two-time finals MVP hadn't requested a trade at the start of free agency on June 30, maybe a team might have offered Ayton a max deal of four years, $131 million already to put the Suns in a situation in which they had to match it or let him walk for nothing.

The Suns can pay Ayton more than anyone else on a four-year max deal for $136 million or a five-year max deal for $177 million.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns big Deandre Ayton 'isn't really desired' by Brooklyn Nets