Deandre Ayton bought by Blazers, becomes unrestricted free agent

The free agent market got a huge boost as DeAndre Ayton unexpectedly agreed to a buyout to become a free agent.

Under 24 hours before the start of the offseason, the free agent market saw a massive shakeup.

Center Deandre Ayton is reportedly finalizing a contract buyout with the Trail Blazers, making him an unrestricted free agent. Ayton was entering the final year of his deal at $35.5 million contract.

This move was certainly a surprise. Ayton is potentially sacrificing a lot of money to change teams during what was supposed to be his contract year. However, Ayton likely has some idea of his next destination.

Accepting a buyout when you are set to make so much money would be a risk if a plan weren’t in place. The Lakers are likely hoping they are on a short list of places he is considering joining.

Ayton’s talent and upside are undeniable, but his big contract made trading for him a challenge. Now that he is reportedly free of that contract, suddenly, a path toward him becoming a Laker seems much more attainable.

Ayton is coming off a season where he averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Even with him not quite reaching his full potential, what he is as a player right now is far better than anything the current Lakers frontcourt players could provide.

At 26 years old, there is still hope that Ayton could have a redemption arc in L.A., particularly playing next to Luka Dončić and LeBron James.

Still, signing Ayton is a risk, as he has underperformed as a top prospect with the Suns and as a player trying to help rebuild the Blazers.

The Lakers are in desperate need of a center. They essentially played their final playoff games against the Wolves without a viable big. If they can sign Ayton at the right number, it would go a long way toward improving the team's lack of frontcourt depth from last year.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.