The Portland Trail Blazers bought out Deandre Ayton this offseason, clearing the path for recent first-round selections Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen. A divorce was in the best interests of both parties.
Not only does Portland get to prioritize their promising young centers, but they also got Ayton to forfeit $10 million of his salary for next season. It also makes sense why Ayton was willing to agree to that. He landed with the Los Angeles Lakers following the buyout and made most of that money back, signing a two-year, $16.6 million deal with a player option for the second season.
More significantly for Ayton, he finally gets to join a contender in Los Angeles. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Ayton's preference to join a winning situation played a role in his buyout.
Deandre Ayton's fresh start with Lakers could go one of two ways
Although the Lakers shouldn't be considered favorites out west and remain a tier below the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets, they certainly still have a chance to make a deep playoff run. You can't entirely rule out a Luka Doncic and LeBron James-led team, especially with how Doncic has looked this summer.
Last season, the Lakers fell short in the playoffs as their lack of size was exploited by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rudy Gobert even had a dominant 27-point, 24-rebound performance to close them out in five games. That wouldn't have happened with Ayton in the picture.
Los Angeles now has just enough in the frontcourt. On offense, Ayton will be an excellent fit for Doncic and James, as they are two of the best passers in the history of the league. Doncic, in particular, will benefit from having that lob threat at his disposal, making him a dynamic playmaking threat that's impossible to defend.
Ayton's time in Portland was underwhelming. The Blazers were hoping that a change of scenery could unlock Ayton's potential as a former No. 1 overall pick. Instead, their losing situation brought out the worst in him.
There were multiple occasions throughout the past two seasons where Ayton's effort came into question. In Portland's embarrassing 141-99 loss to the Utah Jazz, Chauncey Billups only played Ayton two minutes in the second half, saying, "I didn't like his spirit in the game."
Because of his on-court flaws and how his time in Phoenix ended, Ayton has developed an unfair reputation as a locker room problem. Those character issues seem to be blown out of proportion, but the concerns surrounding his inconsistent effort are extremely valid.
Hopefully, Ayton will be more locked in and consistently motivated joining a winning situation in Los Angeles. With the Lakers being such a historic franchise and a big market, he's officially in the spotlight. Given the low cost of acquisition and the Lakers' desperation at the position, it's a risk they had to take. But time will tell whether Ayton's on-court issues stem from his losing environment or if this is just who he is as a player.