Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton said he hasn’t spoken with head coach Monty Williams since he was benched during a stunning Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in May.
Ayton had a tense summer with the Suns, signing a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers before Phoenix matched using his restricted free agent rights.
“I haven’t spoken to him at all, ever since the game,” Ayton told reporters after the first practice of the season on Tuesday. “I can show him better than I can tell him. It’s life. Nobody cares about the uncomfortable nature of it, it’s how you perform and what you bring to the table. What’s said is already said.”
Ayton worked out at the Suns facility for weeks leading up to training camp, but Williams said he purposely decided to leave players alone a little this summer to give them space.