Portland Trail Blazers are open to trades involving former top picks

The moment the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard, it signaled a rebuild was underway. While Lillard hasn’t had more success with the Milwaukee Bucks, the results of his trade haven’t yielded a positive return for the Blazers either.

For now, Portland enters NBA play ranked 13th in the Western Conference with a 7-10 record. But then again, this was expected for a team still looking for 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 could increase regarding some of their perceived cornerstones. In fact, there is already one name heavily involved in the Blazers trade rumors.

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Portland Trail Blazers open to trade Deandre Ayton

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, several 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 carries a cap hit of $34 million, which could make his contract much more difficult to trade, and could also be a factor as 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 through 2025, the final year of the 26-year-old’s contract.

Meanwhile, Williams, 27, is under contract for just $12.4 million this season and has a salary of $13.2 million through 2025, which is also the final year of his deal.

Comparing their numbers, it only makes sense that the Blazers would hold Williams in higher regard, especially considering the Blazers’ No. 7 overall pick Donovan Clingan is waiting in the wings, ready for a bigger role.

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