• Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton will return to representing his country in international competition

• Ayton will be representing his home nation of The Bahamas 

• Even with no FIBA World Cup qualification, The Bahamas will hope to be in the mix during the 2024 Olympics

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton will be returning to competition in international basketball after announcing a desire to help the Bahamas national team qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ayton hasn’t competed for the Bahamas since 2016, so his return to the national team will provide a massive boost to their competitive hopes.

“I’m excited to be back playing for Team Bahamas this summer. Our goal is to win, this tournament is the first step in qualifying for the  Paris Olympics. I’m always proud to represent where I’m from. I can’t wait to put on that Bahamas jersey and compete for my country.

The 2024 FIBA Men’s Pre-Qualifying Olympic Qualifying Tournaments are scheduled from August 14 to 20, 2023. Argentina will be the host as the Bahamas compete in Group A alongside them, Cuba, and Panama.

Ayton will be joined by other NBA players Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon, and Kai Jones on the roster.

Deandre Ayton Is Ready For A Big Season

Keeping himself basketball-ready by playing international basketball in the summer against teams that won’t be playing in the FIBA World Cup is a smart move by Ayton. He won’t go up against elite competition and gets a chance to put his full arsenal of s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s to good use.

The Suns have pondered trading him away at various times since the offseason began. Hopefully, Ayton can show enough on the court to keep his time with the Suns alive. The pressure next to Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal can be immense, so he needs to deal with it. Or else, his time in Phoenix may finally be over.

He averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds last season.