When the Portland Trail Blazers traded for Deandre Ayton last summer as part of the Damian Lillard blockbuster deal, it was abundantly clear that the team had big plans for the 7-foot center. This all changed, however, when Portland decided to use their No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 Draft on former UConn star Donovan Clingan.
At this point, it appears that time is quickly running out for Ayton.
Portland Trail Blazers: Deandre Ayton No Longer Part of Future Plans
Clingan is by no means a guaranteed future star for the Blazers. In fact, this is probably why Portland has not traded Ayton this summer as he could be seen as some sort of insurance policy if the Clingan experiment does not work out.
Nevertheless, the belief is that Ayton will be out of the picture sooner or later. This report comes via NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
“When the Blazers drafted Clingan, it became very clear that starting center Deandre Ayton moved from being a solidified member of this team’s core to becoming a ticking clock.
“At some point, the Blazers and Ayton are expected to part ways, sources said, yet the former first overall pick doesn’t command a market at this time,” Siegel wrote.
Ayton still has two more years on his current deal with the Blazers, which could serve as added motivation for Portland to cash in on the former first-overall pick while they still can. They still have time to wait it out a bit, but things could get a bit more complicated for them if they wait beyond next summer.
Either way, it appears that Ayton is no longer part of Portland’s long-term plans.
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