3 Most overpaid Portland Trail Blazers heading into next season

1. Deandre Ayton

This brings us to Deandre Ayton, the most overpaid Trail Blazers player entering the 2024-25 NBA season. Finding potential trade partners for Ayton is much more challenging than it is for Grant. Any team looking to bolster its roster for a playoff run would benefit from adding Grant. A 6-foot-7 forward who shot 40 percent from beyond the arc, Grant's versatility and floor-spacing ability make him a valuable asset who can seamlessly fit into any team's scheme and lineup.

The same can't be said about Ayton, as the vast majority of teams around the league already have an established starting center. And for the few that don't, it's hard to justify having to use assets to acquire Ayton on top of paying his salary. The Blazers' big man is the highest-paid player on their roster entering next season, owed $34 million.

He had a much more promising stretch towards the end of 2023-24 but was disappointing relative to his contract in his first year with the Blazers. While Ayton is a double-double machine, averaging 16.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last season, he doesn't fit the mold of a modern-day center in terms of rim protection (0.8 blocks per game) or floor spacing (ten percent from three).

Teams would have to pay a premium for Ayton and make him one of, if not the highest-paid players on their team. But his impact on winning doesn't match the hefty contract, making him the most overpaid Blazers player.