The Portland Trail Blazers' rebuild continues to trend in the right direction. Still, one thing that has consistently been an issue is the number of veterans taking away roles and minutes from their youth, impeding their development. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin finally resolved this lingering issue -- at least at the center position -- with Deandre Ayton's contract buyout.
Ayton was on an expiring deal and forfeited $10 million of his $35.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season in the buyout. He made most of that money back when he landed with the Los Angeles Lakers, signing a two-year, $16.6 million deal with a player option for the second season.
Blazers are finally prioritizing their youth
Ayton's situation this summer turned out to be a win for all involved parties. The Lakers get bailed out by adding a starting-caliber center on a team-friendly deal to pair with Luka Doncic. Ayton gets yet another change of scenery in hopes of finally unlocking the ceiling that made him the No. 1 overall selection in 2018 (although at 27 years old, this may simply be the player he is). Meanwhile, the Blazers clear the path for their recent first-round selections, Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen.
Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report was asked in a mailbag how he expects Chauncey Billups to distribute minutes at the center position this upcoming season.
"With Williams being a giant question mark with his health and Reath not being the kind of center who can play in every matchup, it's going to be a lot of Clingan and Yang," Highkin answered.
Portland still has veteran Robert Williams III in the mix, but there's at least a clear hierarchy in terms of the Blazers prioritizing their youth ahead of the injury-prone Williams -- as it should be at every position.
Portland is still years away from contention, meaning the development of its young core needs to take precedence. Another overlooked reason for this is positional clarity. Giving Clingan and Hansen extended stretches will allow Portland more opportunities to evaluate their two centers. That will help with franchise-altering decisions like determining if they envision the two eventually being able to play alongside each other and, if not, which center to build around.
Player development and roster clarity weren't prioritized as much as they should've been throughout last season. Cronin is finally addressing that issue, with Ayton's buyout being a prime example.