NBA Rumors: Suns Could Explore Trading Deandre Ayton For Joel Embiid, Per ‘Bleacher Report’

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are off to a good start in the 2020-21 NBA season. As of now, they are sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference with a 7-4 record. However, despite their impressive performance on both ends of the floor, the Suns are still not viewed on the same level as powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

If they are serious about conquering the loaded Western Conference and winning a championship, they might consider adding another superstar who could help Booker and Chris Paul carry the team. One of the dream targets for the Suns before the 2021 trade deadline is All-Star center Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, the Suns could explore sending a package centered on Deandre Ayton to acquire Embiid from the Sixers.

“At 7-4 the Suns are a good team. Adding a player like Embiid would make them great. While it may just be a pipe dream at this point, a core of Devin Booker, Embiid, Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges would be an unstoppable combination of scoring, playmaking and defense. Any deal for Embiid would almost certainly have to include Deandre Ayton, a player the Suns shouldn’t be in any hurry to give up.”

Swapping Ayton for Embiid is arguably a no-brainer for the Suns. Though he has dealt with numerous injuries, Embiid is a much better center than Ayton on paper. His arrival in Phoenix might make them a more competitive team and significantly improve their performance on both ends of the floor.

Aside from being a very reliable scoring option, Embiid is also a monster rebounder, facilitator, shot-blocker, and floor-spacer. This season, the 26-year-old center is averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Having a floor-spacing big man like Embiid would be beneficial for Booker and Paul as it would make it easier for them to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when they are trapped by the opposing team’s defense.

However, as Swartz noted, acquiring Embiid is currently just a pipe dream for the Suns. A package centered on Ayton could catch the attention of teams that have a disgruntled superstar on their roster but as of now, the Sixers haven’t shown any indication that they are planning to move their franchise center before the March 25 deadline.