When the Suns announced on Saturday that Deandre Ayton had sustained a sprained left ankle, the team indicated that its starting center would be reevaluated in one week. However, it appears that Ayton may be able to return before hitting that one-week mark.
Suns head coach Monty Williams told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t have a “definitive answer” on whether Ayton would be available for Friday’s game vs. Portland, but the big man practiced in full on Thursday and has been listed as probable for tonight’s game, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Reserve centers Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale have handled the five spot in Ayton’s absence, with Biyombo replacing the former No. 1 overall pick in the starting lineup. Biyombo blocked a total of nine shots in his two starts.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- With Jae Crowder still on the Suns’ roster nearly a month-and-a-half after he and the Suns reached an agreement to work together to seek out a trade for the veteran forward, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports puts together a few hypothetical Crowder packages, exploring what deals with the Wizards, Jazz, Bucks, Celtics, Raptors, Clippers, and Spurs might look like.
- After missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a torn ACL, Dario Saric hasn’t been part of Phoenix’s rotation so far this season, logging just seven total minutes in two appearances this season. The Suns forward, who averaged 21.6 MPG in 116 games from 2019-21 before getting injured, is trying not to get discouraged by his lack of playing time, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. “I try to come into the gym every day, work hard,” Saric said. “Keep my conditioning up and wait for my chance or come in and have some positive things on the court, but it’s not easy. I’m not going to lie and say it’s easy when it’s not. I don’t know. Just try to keep conditioning up and do whatever I can control.”
- Appearing at a political rally in Phoenix, former U.S. president Barack Obama addressed rumors that he’s part of a prospective ownership group with interest in buying the Suns, neither confirming nor outright denying that claim. “I didn’t know I was in the market and, by the way, neither did Michelle,” Obama said, per Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “But I will say this. The Suns are looking pretty good. I’ve got to admit that. I think they have a few more wins than my Bulls right now.”
So Gerald Bourguet thinks the Jazz would maybe trade Lauri Markenen for Crowder and maybe a first round pick?
Gerald, the Jazz are rebuilding, not having a frontal lobe lobotomy!
Utah is not gonna trade Markkanen. He has now turned into the player that the Bulls thought they drafted in the lottery out of Arizona.
Did you see Markkanen go down the lane and dunk over Gobert??? Nasty!
I dont care if it is Obama, Biden, Trump, or whoever, politicians need to stay away from sports.
He’s just a figurehead of his “group”. He has nowhere close to the amount of money to buy the suns. Just a minority owner that is there to draw free agents to Phx. Pretty smart honestly….
Barack Obama bank account is getting fatter every day. Obama’ s net worth is now approaching $100 million and growing fast!
Obama ain’t out here working for the people. He has all his juicy “connections” plugging him into all the best things to buy and invest in.
At some point, he will have the cash, and will buy a team.
Lol….$100 mil is a drop in the bucket to buy a 2 billion dollar team. If he spent every penny he had, that would be a lousy 5% ownership.
Not happening unless you mean a G league team….that he could afford.
Over the next 5-10 years, watch how this dude ramps up!
He is about to absolutely print money with the sweetheart deal he got from the city of Chicago for his Presidential Library which is now under construction.
Watch how fast his net worth grows after the Library!
You do realize that most of these guys don’t own “ALL” of the team. Robert Sarver is “majority” owner of Phoenix owning 35%.
Obama will absolutely be in position to be lead in buying a franchise sooner rather than later.
Also, watch how fast some of the valuations on these teams start to come down over the next 1-2 years. You are going to start to see franchise values begin to drop, and not rise.
Uh, the library is a not for profit which will actually be a research center. Not sure how he would ‘print money’ there unless you mean it is a front for a counterfeiting operation. But keep dighing through QAnon looking for ghosts.
Obama didn’t initiate the fake news
They all talk about sports. Bigger issue is former pro athlete running for seats when most are just running on their former glory and their fans only vote for that reason.
How about former coaches??? The state of Alabama put former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville in the United States Senate.
Herb Kohl and Glenn Taylor are both former senators. Granted, Kohl is retired as an owner, but the point stands.