Deandre Ayton asking for a buyout was the first shocking move of NBA free agency.
Where he will go next is still unknown, but some tidbits are coming out as to why he wanted out of Portland. As reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, Ayton sought a buyout because he wanted to be on a winning team.
Ayton, who will turn 27 next month, had $35.6 million left on a contract that was set to expire next summer. Ayton and his representatives approached the Blazers about a buyout and Ayton wanting to play in a winning situation, sources said.
The rationale from Ayton does make sense here. This was going to be a contract year for him and if he felt like playing his best basketball for a winning team was best for his career, the Blazers can’t provide that.
By agreeing to a buyout, he frees himself of his situation in Portland and can have some control over where he goes next.
The Lakers can certainly provide Ayton with a winning situation. Los Angeles won 50 games last year and earned home-court advantage for their first-round matchup against the Wolves.
That series didn’t go as planned, and L.A. lost in five games. However, running things back with Luka Dončić and LeBron James and then adding a piece like Ayton would almost certainly make the Lakers a top contender in the West.
It’s hard to say this is the last chance for Ayton to turn his career around, given that he’s 26 years old, but in some ways it is.
Wherever he goes next, he’ll have to play his best if he wants to have more big paydays on the horizon. Playing well on a winning team is Ayton's ticket to a bigger contract in the future and certainty that his career will continue to move forward in a positive direction.
Despite being a flawed player, Ayton is a walking double-double machine, and if he joins the Lakers with the right mindset, it’s not hard to imagine he can have a career year running pick and rolls with Luka.
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