Trail Blazers will buy out former No. 1 pick, making him a free agent

Ayton had been about to enter the final season of a four-year, maximum-salary contract, which was set to pay him $35.5M this season. The amount of his buyout has not yet been reported.

The Blazers have drafted centers in the first round of the 2024 and 2025 drafts, in Donovan Clingan and Hansen Yang, respectively, and will use this opportunity to clear rotation minutes for their young big men. Portland also still has Robert Williams and Duop Reath under contract, though Williams has only played 61 games over the last three seasons due to health issues.

Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds this season, both of which were tied for career lows, in 30.2 minutes per night. He only played 40 games while dealing with a calf strain that kept him out of the lineup for much of the second half of the season.

Once he clears waivers, Ayton will become an unrestricted free agent and will have the ability to sign with any NBA team. The Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a rule prohibiting teams operating above either tax apron from signing a waived player who had been earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but that restriction only applies during the regular season.

Ayton joins a free agent center group headlined by Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Clint Capela and Al Horford. The Los Angeles Lakers are the team most consistently linked to free-agent centers and will likely become a top team to monitor for Ayton.

One team that will not be pursuing a partnership with Ayton is the Phoenix Suns, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Bourguet reports, via Twitter, that Phoenix has no interest in a reunion with the center who helped the team reach the 2021 NBA Finals.