By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With the National Basketball Association’s negotiations for the 2025 free agency open, Bahamian centre Deandre Ayton has decided to exercise his options with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ayton, the second Bahamian to be drafted as the number one pick and the second to play for the Trail Blazers, joined the free agent market, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania late Sunday night.

According to Charania, the Trail Blazers and Ayton have finalised a contract buyout heading into free agency, although Ayton still has one year left on his four-year, $132.9 million contract and would’ve earned $35.6 million next season.

“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 centres,” Charania wrote.

While negotiations with free agents have begun, no deals can be formally signed until the moratorium period ends on July 6. 

The NBA free agency will officially begin on July 6 at 12pm. 

The 26-year-old Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists during the past season, but the Trail Blazers finished 12th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 win-loss record. 

It was the second consecutive year in Portland that Ayton and the Trail Blazers have missed making the playoffs. 

But to his credit, Ayton missed a few games due to injuries. 

In the 95 games he played, he averaged 16.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Selected as the No.1 pick out of Arizona in the 2018 Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Ayton was traded by the Suns to the Trail Blazers in 2023 for Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson, in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Suns also moved Toumani Camara, a 2029 first-round draft pick in the package. 

In the two years that Ayton has been with the Trail Blazers, he hasn’t been part of the playoffs. 

In addition, Charania reported that Ayton is a fresh addition to the free agent market. His postseason experience with the Suns could allow him to become part of a contending team.

And NBA insider Bobby Marks said that as a free agent, Ayton is free to sign with any team this summer. 

“Deandre Ayton is free to sign with any team despite earning greater than $14.1M+,”  Marks wrote. 

“The waiver restriction for second apron teams only applies during the regular season.”

Could he possibly end up in Los Angeles where the Lakers have been searching for a centre, or could he join newly acquired Bimini native Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr in Philadelphia after the 76ers acquired him with the third pick in the NBA Draft last Wednesday? Ayton and Edgecombe, along with Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield of the Golden State Warriors and veteran guard Eric Gordon on the Bahamas men’s national team that fell short in the final of the qualifying tournament to Spain in Valencia last July for a trip to the Olympic Games in Paris, France. Gordon may not be around for the Sixers as he too has opted out of his contract and has become a free agent.

It could be a long summer or a short one for Ayton, depending on how soon he can get a contract offer from a new team.

If it is the Lakers, he would be the third Bahamian to play in Los Angeles. 

Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson, the first foreign born No.1 draft pick by Portland in 1978, played with the Lakers and won back-to-back titles in 1987-88, while Rick Fox, who was drafted as the 24th pick in the first round of the NBA Draft in 1991, won three titles with the Lakers from 2000-2002.