What does Ayton staying in Phoenix mean for Kevin Durant trade market?

Deandre Ayton is staying with the Phoenix Suns after they matched the Pacers’ four-year, $133 million max offer.

That does more than keep the Suns in the crowded mix at the top of the Western Conference next season.

It also changes the Kevin Durant sweepstakes — it makes it much more difficult and complicated for the Suns to trade for KD. And it may make it more likely Durant starts the season still on the Nets roster.

The Suns were one of the two teams on the shortlist Durant gave the Nets when he asked for a trade. While those trade talks have not moved fast, the Suns were considered the frontrunner around the league because they could put together the best trade package — one centered around an Ayton sign-and-trade (albeit that deal was complex due to hard cap/base year compensation issues, and it likely involved a third team).

Ayton signing the offer sheet and the Suns matching it takes Ayton off the table for any Durant trade, at least in the short term. Ayton now cannot be traded before Jan. 15, and the center would have the right to veto any trade for one year. If he doesn’t want to go to Brooklyn, he’s not going (even if he does want to go, he can’t until mid-January; also, he can’t be traded directly to the Pacers).

Even without Ayton, Phoenix can still put together a Durant trade that works under the CBA: Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson, plus a boatload of first-round picks (four?) plus some pick swaps.

Would that be enough? For a Nets team that saw what Utah got for Rudy Gobert, the answer is very likely no.

The other team on Durant’s shortlist is the Miami Heat, who can offer Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry (needed to match salary), a player such as Max Strus or just-drafted Nikola Jovic,