Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton on Feb. 10, 2025, in Denver. The team agreed to a buyout of Ayton's contract.
David Zalubowski / AP
The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to buy out the remainder of center Deandre Ayton’s contract.
Ayton was a former No. 1 overall draft pick by the Phoenix Suns and was acquired by Portland in the 2023 trade of former team anchor Damian Lillard. Ayton was entering the final year of a four-year contract when he requested a buyout in order to become a free agent, according to the team.
A buyout is when a team agrees to pay a portion of the money remaining on a player’s contract before it expires, allowing the player to join another team via waivers or free agency.
Ayton played 95 games in two seasons with the Blazers, averaging 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds.
He would have entered the 2025-26 season with heavy competition for playing time in Portland. The Blazers have four other centers on the roster, including last year’s lottery pick Donovan Clingan, who earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors, and this year’s surprise first-round pick Yang Hansen. The Blazers announced Tuesday they signed Yang, but did not release terms of the deal.
The team posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, thanking Ayton for his time in Portland.
Thank you for everything, DA. Grateful for your time in Rip City ❤️ pic.twitter.com/al1hs1tv8K
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 30, 2025
The buyout continued a busy offseason for the Trail Blazers as the team continues its post-Lillard rebuild.
Portland recently traded star guard Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics for Jrue Holiday.
The Paul Allen family estate announced in May that it was selling the team. Portland also re-signed head coach Chauncey Billups to a multiyear extension earlier this year.
