Is Deandre Ayton playing tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans? | 2021-22 NBA season

The Phoenix Suns take on the New Orleans Pelicans at home on Tuesday and the status of their starting center, Deandre Ayton, is still up in the air. The Suns' offseason was incredibly messy because team ownership refused to offer Deandre Ayton a max extension.

Most stars in the 2018 NBA draft class were signed to max deals and the 1st overall, Ayton wasn't. Visibly frustrated with the disrespect, many analysts expected him to start the season guns blazing to prove to the team that they made a mistake by not re-signing him.

Five games into the season, it was evident that the Phoenix Suns needed Deandre Ayton more than they thought they would. Chris Paul acknowledged that most of the team's pick-and-roll offense runs through Ayton, saying:

"I think we both understand, and especially me, I definitely understand that I can’t do anything without him"

The Phoenix Suns haven't gotten off to the start they wanted in the 2021-22 NBA season. Reigning Western Conference champions, they are 2-3 through their first five games and their defense has taken a gigantic dip. Every game they play without any of their starters increases their chances of going further down in the standings.

What is Deandre Ayton's status for tonight's game against the New Orleans Pelicans?

Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns

Deandre Ayton is officially listed as questionable for the game against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. He is suffering from a contusion in his right lower leg and it has apparently been bothering him for a while. He played just 24 minutes in the Phoenix Suns' last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, while every other starter played over 30 minutes. He left the game after the third quarter and didn't return.

Head coach Monty Williams spoke about Ayton's condition ahead of the game, saying:

"I don't know if it was a bump or the way he landed (in Saturday's game)...Pretty bad contusion, but it's been bothering him the last couple of days."

When will Deandre Ayton return?

Deandre Ayton usually doesn't miss games and fights through the pain, like he has been doing for the past few days. However, his condition can be considered serious and so he probably will not lace up for the game against New Orleans. The Phoenix Suns staff might consider this game an easy win because the opposition doesn't have Zion Williamson and it isn't worth risking Ayton's leg.

As reported by AZ Central's Duane Rankin, Deandre Ayton was reportedly limited to Monday's practice session and didn't participate in any 5-on-5 drills, a requirement before returning to game action. Coach Monty Williams continued to talk about his return, saying:

"He's not the kind of guy that sits out...He's hurting like that, we've got to take it serious. So we're hopeful that he'll be back sooner rather than later. We're just being cautious right now...We did a ton of 5-on-5 today, he wasn't involved in that.

We predict that Deandre Ayton will be returning to the game on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. The Phoenix Suns' next game is also against an easy opponent, the Houston Rockets, so missing that game would give him an extra few days off to rest.