With the NBA offseason at full go, plenty of news has broken on players in the league as free agency begins on Monday.
The Portland Trail Blazers broke the news that center Deandre Ayton won't be with the team next season after both sides agreed to a contract buyout on Sunday night.
Ayton was set to be paid $35.6 million by the Trail Blazers next season in his final year under contract with the team.
According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the 26-year-old center will be free to sign with any team this season, even if his new team is sitting in the second apron. The NBA's waiver restriction, which applies to players who earned more than $14.1 million, is only in effect during the regular season.
Deandre Ayton snags the basketball with Max Christie of the Lakers looking on, on Dec. 8, 2024.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
It seems that Portland will commit to the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Yang Hansen, and 2024 No. 7 overall pick Donavan Clingan for the foreseeable future.
For Ayton, nothing is certain about where he will land, but according to senior NBA insider Shams Charania, "Ayton and his representatives approached the Blazers about a buyout and Ayton wanting to play in a winning situation."
The former No. 1 overall pick will look to join his third team in the NBA.
Ayton played for the Phoenix Suns from 2018 to 2023, helping lead the team to their first NBA Finals in 28 years, before getting traded to the Portland Trail Blazers before the start of the 2023-24 season.
After appearing in 95 games for the Trail Blazers in a two season span, Ayton averaged 15.7 PTS, 10.7 REB, and 1.6 AST.
He was the first player to average over 10 points and 10 rebounds since Dwight Howard's seven-year stretch from 2004 to 2011.
While NBA free agency is set to beign on Monday, it's unclear what team that's in a "winning situation" catches Ayton's eye, but some contending teams that have shown interest in a center this offseason include the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.