Former No. 1 overall pick living up to 'max player' comments
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton is arguably playing the best basketball of his career and it has come as a surprise.
After starting the first 26 games of the 2024 season with career-lows in points per game (12.8) and field goal percentage (53.7%), the former No. 1 overall pick has been as dominant as any center in the NBA post-All-Star break.
Since Feb. 22, Ayton is averaging 24.5 points per game (second amongst centers), 14.3 rebounds (fourth overall), 64.3% from the field, 88.2% from the free throw line and ranks top-10 in double-doubles (seven).
Additionally, three 30-point outings over his last five games notched the seven-footer his 10th career 30-point performance.
Though the Blazers sit with a 19-48 record (14th in the West) and are eliminated from playoff contention, Ayton's second-half surge has been promising for the franchise that acquired him in a three-team trade.
"We've unlocked (Ayton) and we're getting the best version of him," Blazers' head coach Chauncey Billups said, via Duane Rankin of AZ Central. "He's been a monster. He's been a monster on that glass. He's just been all over the place. Super, super efficient. He's been awesome and our guys are just following his lead."
Throughout his career, Ayton has been criticized for his lack of consistency and effort on the court and in 44 games with the Blazers, the talented center is still riding a career-low 15.6 points per game despite his recent resurgence.
Ayton, 25, is currently in the second year of a four-year, $132.9M contract that he signed ahead of the 2022-23 season with the Phoenix Suns. The big man is set for two more years of annual pay well north of $30M before he hits the market once again, where he believes he's worth a max contract.
"I got nothing to prove in this league," Ayton told Basketball Intelligence's Mark Medina in January. "I'm a max player, and I'll continue to be a max player."
Ayton immediately followed up his comments with a five-point, seven-rebound night before ultimately turning his season around. With 15 games left in the Blazers season, Ayton will look to continue his domination and hopefully carry some of that confidence into next season.
As it stands — outside of his one Finals appearance in 2021— the sixth-year center has no accolades to account for and no hardware, making a max contract far-fetched. However, if the last eight games have been a glimpse of what's to come, then a massive payday will surely be ahead.
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