Deandre Ayton from the Portland Center has officially been acquired by the Trail Blazers, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Sunday. If Ayton clears the exemption, he will become a free agent on Wednesday. Next season, Ayton is set to earn $35.5 million, the last year of his four-year, $133 million contract originally signed with the Phoenix Suns. The details of the trade were not immediately disclosed.
The Trail Blazers currently have contracts with second-year centers Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III, who recently used the 16th pick in the draft to select 7-foot-1 Chinese center Yang Hansen. Once Ayton’s acquisition is finalized and he clears the exemption, he will be among the top free agents on the market, though not a marquee name. The team can start negotiations with pending free agents beginning Monday.
Ayton, 26, was the top pick in the 2018 draft alongside notable players like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Jackson Jr., and Trae Young. Despite expectations, Ayton has not quite lived up to the hype. Known as a traditional center, he rarely shoots threes or stretches the floor, and has yet to make an All-Star team in his seven NBA seasons. However, he offers valuable post presence and rebounding skills that are appealing to teams needing center help.
Throughout his career, Ayton has averaged 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and one block per game, shooting an efficient 59% from the floor. He has attempted 122 three-pointers in 398 games, making just 23%. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, who have shown a lack of defensive rim protection, and the Charlotte Hornets, who recently traded away Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkić, could be interested in Ayton’s services.
Fan Take: This acquisition signals potential shifts in the center position market and could impact how teams prioritize traditional big men versus stretch bigs. For basketball fans, Ayton’s move offers an intriguing storyline on whether a physically dominant center can still thrive in the evolving NBA landscape.
