Portland center Deandre Ayton is finalizing a buyout with the Trail Blazers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday.
He’ll become a free agent on Wednesday if he clears waivers, according to multiple reports.
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Ayton is due $35.5 million next season on the final year of a four-year, $133 million contract he signed with the Phoenix Suns. Terms of his buyout were not initially reported.
The Trail Blazers have second-year center Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III under contract and used the 16th pick of last week’s draft to acquire 7-foot-1 Chinese center Yang Hansen.
If Ayton is bought out and clears waivers, he’ll become one of the top free agents in a class lacking marquee names. Teams are permitted to start negotiating with pending free agents beginning Monday.
Deandre Ayton appears to be on his way out of Portland. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Steph Chambers via Getty Images)
Ayton, 26, was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft class that also featured Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young. Unlike some of his draft-class counterparts, Ayton has not lived up to the hype.
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A traditional center who doesn’t shoot 3s or stretch the floor, Ayton has failed to make an All-Star team in his seven seasons since joining the NBA. But he does provide a valuable post presence and rebounding prowess that will be attractive to teams seeking help at center in the free agent market.
For his career, Ayton’s averaged 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1 block per game while shooting 59% from the floor. He’s shot 23% on 122 career 3-point attempts in 398 games.
There are several teams in search of help in the post, most notably the Los Angeles Lakers, whose lack of defensive presence near the rim was exposed in a one-sided, first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. A Charlotte Hornets team that recently traded Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic could also be in the market for a center.
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