NBA Free Agency Rumors: Where Will Deandre Ayton Sign if Not with Phoenix Suns?

Updated June 30, 2022
Updated June 30, 2022By Dan Favale
Deandreaytonbettingodds
If Deandre Ayton leaves the Phoenix Suns, where will he go?

With free agency right around the corner, all the best betting sites for the NBA have odds on where top players will sign if they leave their current team. The emphasis here is on if. You cannot wager on their returns to incumbent squads. This is why sportsbooks routinely deal with players who seem like flight risks. And one of those players is Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns.

In fact, amid an otherwise weak NBA free-agent class in 2022, Ayton might be the best player with the top odds to actually leave his current team. So you better believe we’re trying to get in on the action. Below you’ll find the latest betting odds on where Deandre Ayton will sign if he leaves Phoenix:

Deandre Ayton's Next TeamBetOnline
Detroit Pistons+150
Toronto Raptors+250
Indiana Pacers+350
Portland Trail Blazers+600
San Antonio Spurs+700
Chicago Bulls+800
Orlando Magic+800
Oklahoma City Thunder+900

Please note that these betting odds on NBA free agency are accurate entering Thursday, June 30. Make sure you’re double-checking them before settling on any basketball picks, since all basketball futures are subject to wild shifts this time of year.

Also pay attention to the nature of this bet. You only receive a payout if Deandre Ayton leaves the Suns for the team you picked. On the bright side, if he winds up re-signing with Phoenix, the best betting sites in the United States will refund your wager, since they are not an option on the ledger.

Finally, if you’re still in the market for a place to bet on the NBA, consider checking out our definitive reviews of all the top online sportsbooks. We’ve made these to help you spot the best sports betting sites in 2022, so you might as well take advantage of them!

Should the Pistons Be Favorites to Poach Deandre Ayton?

It almost feels like oddsmakers are setting a pre-draft market for Ayton’s free agency by having the Pistons at No. 1. Back then, Detroit had more than $40 million in cap space and no bigs under contract aside from Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk.

Fast forward to now, and the Pistons not only have two more centers on the roster in Nerlens Noel and lottery pick Jalen Duren, but they’ve burned through most of their cap space facilitating trades. They would have to acquire Ayton from the Suns via sign-and-trade, a transaction that profiles as unrealistic when they don’t have many players Phoenix would be interested in taking back for their own roster.

To be sure: We wouldn’t rule out the Pistons entirely. But they should be a touch lower on your board.

Detroit PistonsWill Sign Deandre Ayton Away from the Phoenix Suns
+150
Bet Now

Why Have the Toronto Raptors Moved So Far Up the List?

The Raptors did not begin the offseason this high on the list of teams who could land Ayton. But they absolutely belong here now.

Toronto doesn’t have the money to simply sign Ayton, but they’re built to make things happen with him via sign-and-trade. A third team would be needed to make the math work, but something along the lines of OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. plus other salary filler could get things moving.

Looking at the Raptors’ roster, it isn’t entirely obvious that they need a center. They already have Pascal Siakam, Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch. But they could certainly use help on the glass, at both ends, as well as a more traditional screener in the pick-and-roll.

Ayton checks both of those boxes in a big way.

Toronto RaptorsWill Sign Deandre Ayton Away from the Phoenix Suns
+250
Bet Now

Are the San Antonio Spurs Out of the Deandre Ayton Sweepstakes?

The Spurs were at one time considered favorites to sign Ayton away from the Suns. They had more cap space than just about any other team, and the big man was known to be interested in joining San Antonio.

But the Spurs changed their entire trajectory when they flipped Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks. They are no longer on a win-now timeline, so ponying up max money for a center who doesn’t vault them closer to NBA Finals contention would be impulsive and counterintuitive.

At the same time, maybe not.

Ayton is only 23, going on 24. He has hardly aged himself out of an organization planning for the bigger picture. He can be the face of San Antonio’s rebuild if they deem him good enough for the role.

NBA FREE AGENCY PREDICTION: If Not Phoenix, Where Will Deandre Ayton Sign?

And the best bet to sign Deandre Ayton if he leaves the Suns is…the Raptors!

This decision would’ve sounded bonkers just a few days ago. It’s less of a risk now.

Do not underestimate how much the overall market for Ayton has changed recently. The Pistons cycled through cap space they could’ve used to get him. Ditto for the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs may still have cap space, but they lack the urgency to go after him following Murray’s exit.

Other options abound. The Indiana Pacers make some sense if they move Myles Turner, perhaps even as part of a trade for Ayton himself. The Chicago Bulls could use an upgrade over Nikola Vucevic, too.

Overall, though, the market lacks teams that both want Ayton and have the motivation to jump through hoops to get him. Toronto is the most likely exception—and, frankly, it no longer feels close.

Toronto RaptorsWill Sign Deandre Ayton Away from the Phoenix Suns
+250
Bet Now

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NBA betting:

1
Bovada-logo
BTC Accepted
50% bonus up to $1,000

Bonus

$ 1000
Play Now
2
BetOnline-logo
BTC Accepted
50% bonus up to $1000

Bonus

$ 1000
Play Now
3
BetUS-logo
BTC Accepted
125% up to $2,500

Bonus

$ 2500
Play Now
4
MyBookie-logo
BTC Accepted
100% bonus up to $1000

Bonus

$ 1000
Play Now
5
Xbet-logo
BTC Accepted

Bonus

$ 500
Play Now

About the Author

Dan Favale
Dan Favale

Around the age of 12, Dan realized, sadly, he’d never become a professional basketball player. It turns out people under 6’0” who can’t dribble or shoot aren’t touted prospects. Who knew?! Anyway, once it became clear he could play professional sports, he figured the next best thing to do was cover them. So, that’s what he did. And continues to do. Dan has worked in the pro sports analysis industry since 2011, giving him almost 15 years total experience. Though started out covering and continues to be enamored by the NBA, he has spent the past decade or so expanding his expertise and analysis to the NFL, NHL, MLB, tennis, esports and golf. Over the past few years, Dan has cannonballed into full-on sports betting news coverage. He remains fascinated by the impact the legalization of gambling in the United States is having on the country. It has, in so many ways, changed everything about how we consume sports. Is that good? Bad? Does it all even out in the end? His coverage has always and will continue trying to reconcile the duality of this industry, pro sports at large and their influence. In his spare time, Dan enjoys honing his weightlifting, eating enough sweet potatoes to feed a rather large family, binge-watching his all-time favorite shows (Psych is the goat!) and hanging out with his three dogs, all of whom are Cockaliers, Thor, Wade and Cosmo. Typically, though, if he’s not eating or sleeping, Dan is watching or covering sports—and loving basically every minute of it.

Read Dan's Profile

Ask Dan about this guide:

Email Twitter