This offseason there were doubts whether the Suns would keep Deandre Ayton as his contract was expiring. In the end matched an offer from the Pacers and kept the 24-year-old center.
Having secured Ayton’s services for another four years, Phoenix will want the former number one draft pick to make progress as a player. According to the Suns’ head coach Monty Williams, that next step for the center is to become an All-Star.
“I think the ceiling for DA is … or his next stop is becoming an All-Star,” Williams said. “And to do that you have to be good a lot. In order to be great you got to be good a lot. All of the guys that make the All-Star team, especially the first time, they almost have to do more than everyone else who’s already made the team.
“So that’s going to require a lot of sacrifice from him, but also pushes me to want to put him in a position where he can be successful on both ends of the floor.”
Last season Ayton averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.5 minutes per game for the Suns.
