In a stunning development that reshapes both the Portland Trail Blazers’ financial outlook and the NBA’s offseason landscape, the team is reportedly preparing to buy out the remainder of center Deandre Ayton’s contract. The decision, which comes less than a full season after Ayton was acquired in a blockbuster three-team trade involving Damian Lillard, signals a significant shift in the Blazers’ rebuild strategy and raises major questions about Ayton’s future in the league.
Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, was once seen as a cornerstone big man with elite two-way potential. After helping lead the Phoenix Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, his relationship with the organization gradually deteriorated, culminating in a trade to Portland in September 2023 as part of the deal that sent Lillard to Milwaukee. The Blazers hoped Ayton would become a foundational piece in their post-Lillard era, complementing a young core that includes Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons.
However, Ayton’s time in Portland was rocky from the start. While he showed flashes
