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Ayton sign-and-trade between Suns, Pacers 'very close'?
Is Suns center Deandre Ayton headed to the Pacers? John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Deandre Ayton sign-and-trade between Suns, Pacers 'very close'

The Indiana Pacers shipped two-time All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis in a trade with the Sacramento Kings in February. Then they sent former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics at the start of July.

It's also been heavily rumored that defensive stalwart Myles Turner will suit up for a new team come next season. The Pacers may be close to landing one of the biggest offseason prizes though, one who could slide into the starting center role if Turner should leave.

Ayton is a restricted free agent and has also been linked to the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors, among other teams. Ayton averaged 17.2 points and shot a career-best 63.4% from the field during the 2021-2022 season, but he also posted career lows in rebounds (10.2), assists (1.4), blocks (0.7) and minutes per game (29.5) across 58 contests.

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