The Portland Trail Blazers agreed to a contract buyout with their former starting center Deandre Ayton this summer. Ayton forfeited $10 million of his $35.6 million salary, but he landed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year, $16.6 million deal including a player option for the 2026-27 season.
These moves are in the best interest of everyone involved. Most importantly, the Blazers now clear the path for their recent first-round picks, Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen.
Deandre Ayton's buyout worked out perfectly
The "DominAyton" experiment in Portland largely didn't go to plan, as he was less impactful and consistent than his numbers (14.