New Report on Deandre Ayton, Lakers After Buyout originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Portland Trail Blazers certainly shocked everyone when ESPN's Shams Charania reported that they were finalizing a buyout with former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton. Players who are as young as Ayton and get paid as much as he does don't typically get bought out.

There was no calm before the storm that's already the 2025 NBA offseason. The winds started whipping up during the Finals, and it feels like we get more thunderous news on the player movement front every day.

The Trail Blazers made a surprising move ahead of the start of free agency on Monday, electing to buyout center DeAndre Ayton according to a team release. Ayton is on track to become a free agent on Wednesday once his $35.5 million salary clears waivers.