The moment the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard, it signaled a rebuilding effort was coming. While Lillard hasn’t had any more success with the Milwaukee Bucks, the results of his trade also hasn’t delivered a positive return for the Blazers either.
For now, Portland enters NBA games today ranked 13th in the Western Conference, with a 7-10 record. But again, this was expected for a team that’s still seeking a new franchise leader as Scoot Henderson continues to sputter, shooting just 40.6% from the floor.
If the Blazers’ struggles continue, and all signs point to more roadblocks, trade rumors involving some of their perceived cornerstones could increase. In fact, there’s already one name heavily involved in Blazers trade rumors.
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Portland Trail Blazers open to trading Deandre Ayton
According to The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer, multiple scouts around the NBA now believe the Portland Trail Blazers are much more willing to trade starting center Deandre Ayton than someone like Robert Williams, who also arrived via trade in 2023.
However, Ayton has a $34 million cap hit, which could make his contract much trougher to trade, and could also be a contributing factor to why Portland would prefer to move the former No. 1 overall pick. For what it’s worth, Ayton is also under contract for $35.5 million in 2025, which is the final year of the 26-year-old’s contract.
- Deandre Ayton stats (2024): 13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Meanwhile Williams, 27, is under contract for just $12.4 million this season and has a $13.2M salary in 2025, which is also the final year of his deal.
- Robert Williams stats (2024): 10.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.7 BPG
When comparing their numbers, it only makes sense for the Blazers to hold Williams in higher regard, especially considering the Blazers have No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan waiting in the wings, ready for a bigger role.
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