The Phoenix Suns are now on a two-game losing streak courtesy of DeAndre Ayton and the Portland Trail Blazers. Ayton played with a chip on his shoulder against his former team, and it was particularly evident in his demeanor following Devin Booker’s late-game free throws.
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After falling 108-127 on Saturday night, the Suns managed to make their second game in Portland more competitive. Four quarters wouldn’t be enough to decide the outcome and the overtime period would see both teams trading punches until the final buzzer.
With 4.1 seconds on the clock, Deni Avdija fouled Booker on a three-point attempt. With the score 117-120, Book had the opportunity to tie it for his Suns on the same night that he became the franchise’s leading scorer. Unfortunately, he would miss the game-tying free-throw, much to the delight of Ayton.
In recently released audio-visual clips of the incident, the former #1 pick’s reaction to Book’s missed free-throw could be seen clearly. Ayton grabbed the rebound off of the miss and stared down his former teammate. Down by one, Ryan Dunn was forced to foul the center.
During the ensuing stoppage, Ayton passionately mouthed off to his teammate, Scoot Henderson, “N***a said I suck. Suck what n***a? Suck what? Suck what?”
LEAKED Audio Of DeAndre Ayton Talking Sh*t About Devin Booker👀:
“N**** said I suck… suck what?” pic.twitter.com/D9IKKDkrX5
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) February 4, 2025
Booker hasn’t directly disparaged Ayton, so it’s unclear if he is referring to conversations that took place behind closed doors. However, what is evident is that Ayton’s unceremonious exit from Phoenix has placed a chip on his shoulder.
Selected 1st overall in 2018, the former Arizona big had a largely underwhelming stint in Arizona. He averaged a double-double in each of his five seasons as a Sun, but his work ethic and basketball IQ were often brought into question.
Over time, fans and pundits grew to believe that he had already reached his ceiling as a sophomore as his touch around the rim and instincts on defense saw little to no improvement in the NBA. In 2023, that culminated in his move from Phoenix to Portland in the landmark Damian Lillard trade.
However, the real offense in Ayton’s mind likely came from Booker’s comments following their first matchup as opponents.
“He played extra hard tonight. I seen that, and my challenge for him is to play like that every night,” the shooting guard told Gerald Bourguet in November, 2023.
Devin Booker on facing Deandre Ayton: “It’s fun….He played extra hard tonight. I seen that, and my challenge for him is to play like that every night.” pic.twitter.com/hLVeSPV3hq
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) November 22, 2023
It was rightfully interpreted as a slight to Ayton, whose intensity and commitment to improvement were constantly under question in Phoenix.
That backhanded compliment was likely the reason behind Ayton’s demeanor during the 121-119 win over his former team. He rose to the occasion, grabbing 20 rebounds in an NBA game for just the second time in his career.
At the end of the night, the 26-year-old had 25 points, 20 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Phoenix and Booker in particular, might be regretting their treatment of Ayton right now.
They traded him for Jusuf Nurkic, who is collecting DNPs in Arizona while the Suns remain in the bottom third of the league when it comes to rebounding. Ayton, on the other hand, is averaging 22.8 points and 12.8 boards for the Trail Blazers over the last five games.
