Deandre Ayton accepts Trail Blazers contract buyout, will become free agent: Sources

New York Times

15 hours ago

By David Aldridge, Jason Quick and John Hollinger
Center Deandre Ayton accepted a contract buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers and will become a free agent, league sources said.
The specific nature of the buyout will be finalized after Ayton, 26, clears waivers, a league source said.
Ayton, the 2018 No. 1 draft pick, averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game with Portland last season, his second with the franchise after it acquired him from the Phoenix Suns in 2023's three-team Damian Lillard trade.
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The parting between Ayton and the Trail Blazers was long in the works. Tardiness, tantrums and injuries marred his two-year tenure in Portland, which contributed to the team using its last two first-round picks on centers in the NBA Draft. The Blazers were unable to unload Ayton's expiring $35.6 million salary.
ESPN was first to report the news of the buyout.
In 95 games with Portland, Ayton averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, but he was unreliable on and off the court. On the court, he was sometimes benched due to effort, leading to sideline and locker room tantrums. Off the court, he received multiple fines for being tardy to practices. He also blew off some rehabilitation appointments while recovering from knee and calf injuries.
Ayton was a loud and light personality in the locker room and seemed well-liked by his teammates, but it was clear the organization didn't view him as a building block for their rebuild. The Blazers used their No. 7 draft pick on center Donovan Clingan last year, and they selected Chinese center Yang Hansen with the 16th pick this year. Billups said Friday that the 7-feet-2 Yang is so talented that he will, without question, play this season, even though he is only 20.
The Trail Blazers also have veteran Robert Williams III and Duop Reath at center. Over the past two seasons, Williams has appeared in only 26 games because of knee injuries, while Reath averaged 4.2 points in 46 games last season.
In negotiating Ayton's buyout, Portland will lose out on the possibility of dangling his expiring contract in any trade talks during the season. Depending on the size of the haircut in his buyout, the move likely affords the Blazers the ability to use their entire non-taxpayer mid-level exception to bring in another guard or wing who can shoot.