Latest news with #DeandreAyton
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA Draft surprise: China center Yang Hansen picked at No. 16, dealt to Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers provided the first shocker in the 2025 NBA Draft, nabbing China center Yang Hansen with the No. 16 pick. The Memphis Grizzlies made the pick for Portland as part of a trade that commissioner Adam Silver announced would be finalized later. Hansen, who turns 20 on Thursday, was projected to be a mid-to-late second-round pick, but the Blazers are getting him despite already having a full stable of centers. Hansen, who wasn't invited to the Green Room by the NBA, was seated in the stands when his name was called. That's why his hat didn't fit properly — he didn't get measured for his cap like other top prospects did on Tuesday. Yang is the first Chinese-born player to be drafted in the first round since Yi Jianlian in 2007, and the third-highest draft pick ever from China. Yao Ming was selected No. 1 in 2002. He joins a Blazers team that has at center former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, last year's No. 7 pick Donovan Clingan, as well as veteran Robert Williams III. Advertisement Hansen played for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association for the past two seasons. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while also recording 2.6 blocks per game. He shot 33.3 percent from 3-point range. He was considered by draft analysts as a rising prospect, but no one projected him to be a first-round pick. Portland acquired the 16th pick from Memphis earlier in the draft when it traded the 11th pick to the Grizzlies. The Blazers also received a 2028 first-round pick and two second-round picks as part of the deal.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakers Land 7ft Tall Former No. 1 Pick In Proposed Trade Idea
Lakers Land 7ft Tall Former No. 1 Pick In Proposed Trade Idea originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Lakers' offseason began early this year after their first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs. Following the exit, the biggest question revolving around the Lakers is what comes next and how to build around their new franchise player, Luka Doncic. According to the Lakers' GM Rob Pelinka, the former Western Conference Finals MVP award winner will be at the center of what the team's future looks like. They will look to add athletic wings and a center who is a lob threat in this offseason. While they could be in the race for high-caliber players like Bam Adebayo and Jaren Jackson Jr, we suggest that the Lakers look at the Trail Blazers for a potential deal that brings Deandre Ayton, the former No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, to Los Angeles. Here's what the potential trade package could look like: Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Deandre Ayton However, if the Lakers do pull the trigger on this, they would be making a very risky move. Ayton has been injury-prone throughout his career. Every second season with the Suns, he missed a significant amount of time due to injuries (2020, 2022, missed over 65 games combined in those seasons), and in the last two seasons he was with the Blazers, he missed 68 out of a potential 164 games in the seasons combined. Secondly, the Lakers will almost certainly ensure that they are operating in the second apron if they bring Ayton on with this deal. Since LeBron James hasn't decided on his player option yet, and Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic are both up for contract extensions. Since letting four players go for the salary of one would mean three empty slots on the Lakers' roster, they would have to fill those up as well. Therefore, it depends on how much the new ownership is willing to risk for the Lakers to get win-now pieces from the trade market. The benefit, however, would be that Ayton would be on an expiring contract, and they could convince him to eventually take less money in the extension as well. The Blazers will have to waive three players to make room for these veterans on the roster, as well as the potential young star in Dalton Knecht. They could also decide to waive either of these expiring contracts as well, if they decide to retain their youth. The key reason why the Blazers would do this trade is to get some long-range shooting from Dalton Knecht (37.6% from three). The Trail Blazers were ranked 23rd in the league last season for efficiency from beyond the arc, shooting 34.1% from range as a team. Since Vanderbilt can play as a small-ball center as a replacement for Robert Williams, the most likely candidates to be waived would be Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. Thus, allowing the Trail Blazers to make more room on their salary cap as well, leading to more financial flexibility in the future. Deandre Ayton was the former No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Suns. He is a reliable big who can average a double-double easily when he is healthy. He has a career average of 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He is a lob threat and a shot blocker, both of which the Lakers need. He has been to the NBA Finals with the Suns in 2021; therefore also has experience in high-pressure situations. To retool around Luka Doncic, he is the perfect fit for the Lakers in terms of timeline (same age as Doncic), playing style (lob-threat and shot blocker), as well as experience in high-pressure situations. Other than his potential injury concerns (which the Lakers dealt with when they had Anthony Davis as well), I cannot think of a reason why the Lakers should not try to trade for story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
1 overlooked Suns move helped fuel the Pacers' NBA Finals run
The Indiana Pacers have made some very wise decisions to earn a spot in the 2025 NBA Finals, but one of the most fortunate was out of their hands. Most fans already know about the big move that started this era of the Pacers when they traded Domantas Sabonis to land franchise cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings. But another transaction that never happened is perhaps just as important to their history. Advertisement Back in 2022, former Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton entered the offseason as a restricted free agent. This essentially meant that while any team could give him an offer sheet, the Suns would have a chance to match it. The Pacers had the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference that season and they were looking to make a swing. Indiana's front office gave Ayton a four-year, $133 million offer sheet, which was the largest offer sheet in NBA history at the time. While it seemed like a fun idea to pair Ayton with Tyrese Haliburton, the Suns decided to match so that they could retain their rights to the player they selected at No. 1 overall (ahead of Luka Dončić and Trae Young) in 2018. Needless to say, it did not go particularly well between the Suns and Ayton and the big man was eventually traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic. (Phoenix later traded a disgruntled Nurkic and a first-round pick for Cody Martin and Vasilije Micić). If the Suns had not matched the offer sheet for Ayton, the big man would have signed with the Pacers. Perhaps with Ayton in the mix, they would have eventually traded a crucial player like Myles Turner due to the positional overlap at center. Advertisement Instead, they later used that cap space to make important moves like signing Bruce Brown — who they later traded to land Pascal Siakam. More: Pacers and Thunder can thank Paul George for their 2025 NBA Finals berths Of course, Siakam went on to win MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals and has played a crucial role in why the Pacers are so successful right now. Turner has also played an impactful role in Indiana's journey to win the Eastern Conference as well. The butterfly effect and the sliding doors of how each player got to the Pacers is fascinating, but this particular wrinkle is especially fascinating. This article originally appeared on For The Win: 1 overlooked Suns move helped fuel the Pacers' 2025 NBA Finals run
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers could bag $132,929,128 Phoenix Suns center to form Big 3 with LeBron James and Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic and LeBron James via Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports The Los Angeles Lakers are always on the hunt for roster upgrades, and a potential trade involving a starting forward could bring them a high-reward big man. According to a recent analysis, swapping Rui Hachimura for former Phoenix Suns star Deandre Ayton might be the jackpot move the Lakers need. Why Deandre Ayton Makes Sense for the Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers ' search for a dominant big man isn't new, but finding the right fit is tricky. Blazer's Edge's Adrian Bernecich suggests Ayton could be the answer. "In order to maximize ( Luka) Doncic moving forward, the Lakers need a big man who can catch lobs, hit midrange jumpers, rebound at a high level, and play at least average defense," Bernecich wrote. "Sound like anyone we know?" (H/t Sporting News ) Deandre Ayton, who was part of the Damian Lillard trade, has shown flashes of brilliance but struggles with consistency. Still, his skill set aligns well with the Lakers' needs. Ayton's Strengths LeBron James and Luka Doncic (Image via Getty) - Strong pick-and-roll player - Effective in the high post - Reliable rebounder and rim protector - Career averages of 16.1 PPG and 10.4 RPG Weaknesses - Inconsistent motor and effort - Limited three-point range - Defensive lapses at times The Proposed Trade Breakdown For the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire Deandre Ayton, they'd need to package multiple players to match his $108 million contract. Here's how the deal could work: Lakers Send Trail Blazers Send Rui Hachimura ($18.2M) Deandre Ayton ($34M) Gabe Vincent ($11M) or Jarred Vanderbilt ($11M) Dalton Knecht or Shake Milton (salary filler) Bernecich explains: "Rui Hachimura is a no-brainer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo With only one year left, he's a rotation forward earning $18.2 million, an amount that gets you halfway there. From here, the Lakers could add Dorian Finney-Smith, which pretty much gets you to Ayton's number. But my guess is they'd prefer to keep Finney-Smith and opt for one of three $11-to $11.5 million players in Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, or Jarred Vanderbilt. " Deandre Ayton's Potential Impact in Los Angeles Deandre Ayton's best years came with the Suns, where he played a key role in their 2021 Western Conference Finals run. That season, he averaged: - 14.4 PPG - 10.5 RPG - 1.2 BPG - 62.6% FG If he regains that form, the Lakers would add a legitimate two-way center who can: - Strengthen interior defense - Provide efficient scoring in the paint - Improve rebounding, a current weakness Risks Involved While Ayton has upside, there are concerns: - Effort and conditioning have been inconsistent - Long-term financial commitment (three years remaining) - May not fit seamlessly with Anthony Davis Trading for Ayton is a high-risk, high-reward move. If the Lakers believe they can unlock his potential, he could be the missing piece in their frontcourt. However, giving up Hachimura and additional assets is a gamble—one that could either propel them into contention or backfire if Ayton's inconsistencies persist. Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Phoenix Suns could make bold move on $220,441,984 star; massive blunder or are they cooking? As the offseason unfolds, this is a trade scenario worth watching.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Should the Nets trade for Trail Blazers' Toumani Camara?
The Brooklyn Nets have plenty of cap space and draft assets to play with this summer as they are looking to reshape the roster after a 26-56 record in the 2024-25 season. While Brooklyn is expected to add some young talent in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, they could also be looking for players to trade for if the price is considered a value. "I have heard that the Blazers want something like two firsts for Camara," The Athletic's Jovan Buha said of Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara during an episode of his "Buha's Block" podcast (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek). Buha was answering a hypothetical trade offer that would send Camara and Deandre Ayton from Portland to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht and a first-round pick. Advertisement Camara is not necessarily considered to be available for trade given what he did during his second season in the NBA after being the 52nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Camara, 25, averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 37.5% from three-point land in 78 games played for the Trail Blazers. Not only that, but Camara is coming off a season in which he made All-Defensive Second Team, showing how much he grew as a player on the defensive end as well as the offensive end. What this means for the Nets is that someone like Camara could bring a level of defensive ability that the team hasn't seen since Jason Kidd during his days playing for the franchise in New Jersey. Brooklyn has four first-round picks to use in the 2025 Draft, but it's possible that they would rather use those picks on players in this class rather than paying a premium for a player that could have already reached his ceiling. It would be easier for the Nets to either take chances on players in the Draft or use their cap space to invest in players like Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, for example, to avoid having to use their draft picks as well. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets trade for Trail Blazers' Toumani Camara?
