At 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday, June 30, NBA free agency officially opens. Teams can begin negotiating with their free agents or players on another team. Contracts can be signed starting July 6. 

With free agency set to begin, certain players must make a tough choice. That was true for Blazers’ big man Deandre Ayton. The team has used first-round draft capital on centers in back-to-back drafts. Ayton is aware that his role with Portland is slipping away. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Deandre Ayton is finalizing a contract buyout with the Trail Blazers to become a free agent.

Where will Deandre Ayton play in 2025-26?

Sudden addition to the free-agent market. This gives Ayton, a former No. 1 overall pick who went to the NBA Finals with the Suns, the chance to receive a fresh opportunity as the Trail Blazers build around their depth of young centers. https://t.co/JlaQzrnI0N

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025

In the 2018 NBA draft, Deandre Ayton was the #1 pick by the Phoenix Suns out of  Arizona. The big man played five seasons with the Suns. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Phoenix was involved in a three-team deal with the Bucks and Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard went to Milwaukee, and Deandre Ayton landed in Portland. For the Trail Blazers in 2024-25, Ayton played and started 40 of their 82 games.

While Ayton is being replaced on the Trail Blazers’ roster, he’s still an effective player. The 26-year-old averaged 10+ points and 10+ rebounds over the first seven seasons of his career. Ayton is the first player since Dwight Howard in 2004-05 to accomplish that feat. Additionally, Ayton is one of four players to average 10+ rebounds and 10+ points in the last seven seasons. He joins Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, and Jusuf Nurkic.

Deandre Ayton wants to play in a winning situation, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/YvlHjEQ9hI

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 30, 2025

When the Suns traded Deandre Ayton, there were questions about his consistency. The same could be said for his time in Portland. Over two seasons, the big man appeared in 95 of 164 possible games. He missed over 40% of the Trail Blazers’ games over two years. Recently, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Deandre Ayton is finalizing a contract buyout with the Trail Blazers. After just two seasons, his time with Portland will come to an end.

The former first-round pick was due $35.6 million for the 2025-26 season. Despite earning more than $14.1 million next season, Ayton is now free to sign with any team. Regardless of their salary cap restriction. Normally, any team in the second apron would be restricted from signing Ayton as a free agent. However, those rules only apply during the regular season. We’ll wait and see where the veteran center plays next year.

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