A golden opportunity presented itself for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are desperately looking for a starting center.
Former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton is finalizing a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reports.
Ayton, 27, was due to earn $35.6 million next season on the final year of his contract. But there was no trade market for him with the size of his salary.
“Ayton and his representatives approached the Blazers about a buyout and Ayton wanting to play in a winning situation, sources said,” Charania wrote.
While the Lakers have little money to spend in free agency and other contending teams could dwarf their offer in terms of contract, they could present the best opportunity for the 7-foot center to revive his career.
Interestingly, Ayton is represented by Bill Duffy of WME Sports, who is also the agent of Lakers star Luka Doncic.
Ayton can slot into a starting role with the Lakers playing next to Doncic and LeBron James. Doncic loves to play with a lob threat. And there’s no more skilled center than Ayton that Doncic has ever played with in the NBA to this point.
According to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks, Ayton is free to sign with any team, including those in both salary cap aprons, despite earning more than $14.1 million.
The Lakers only have the taxpayer $5.7 million midlevel exception to offer. But if they choose not to re-sign free agent Dorian Finney-Smith, the Lakers can have access to the $14.1 million full midlevel exception.
Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 56.6% last season in Portland.
Rockets Emerge as Viable Landing Spot for DFS
The Lakers have rivals in Finney-Smith, who declined his $15.4 million player option to enter unrestricted free agency.
One of them is the Houston Rockets, according to NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein.
“The Houston Rockets have emerged as a viable free agent landing spot for Dorian Finney-Smith, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and me, after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 with the Lakers today,” Fischer wrote on X.
The Rockets have their full $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception to offer Finney-Smith to join Kevin Durant and their young nucleus in pursuit of a championship next season.
According to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks, the Lakers will enter the first apron of the luxury tax if they re-sign Finney-Smith to more than $5.7 million or use the $5.1 million taxpayer midlevel exception.
Lakers Have Strong Interest in Re-Signing DFS
The Lakers have registered a strong interest in re-signing Finney-Smith, Stein and Fischer previously reported. But that was before Ayton entered the buyout market.
The Lakers will need to beat the Rockets’ potential offer and decide whether to pursue him or Ayton, easily the best center in the free agent market once he clears waivers.
In a March interview with Hoopshype, Finney-Smith hinted that he is not going to take a paycut.
“You see what just happened with Luka (Dončić)? Finney-Smith said at the time. “So, you’ve got to make sure you take care of yourself first,” Finney-Smith quickly added. “We need to finish the season strong. If we win, everybody eats (smiles).”
At his age, this could be Finney-Smith’s last shot at a big contract.
If he signs with the Rockets, that will open up the full $14.1 million midlevel exception for the Lakers to use for another significant upgrade like Ayton.
