Lakers, Pelicans, Warriors Emerge as Deandre Ayton Trade Destinations

After trading awayDamian Lillard last summer, the Portland Trail Blazers knew that they were not in a position to compete for a championship, but they did not expect to have the worst record in the Western Conference. They finished last season 21-61, their worst record since the 2005-06 season, and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. This was mainly due to their three star players Jerami Grant , Anfernee Simons , and Deandre Ayton missing games due to injury and rookie Scoot Henderson struggling to start the season.

With their terrible season behind them, Portland has already made some moves this offseason. Before the 2024 NBA Draft, they traded Malcolm Brogdon and the fourteenth pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards for Deni Avdija . With the Blazers trading away Brogdon, they are looking to become a younger team during a rebuild. They also selected Donovan Clingan , a center out of UConn, with the seventh pick in the 2024 draft.

Portland could have more players on the move this offseason. There have been rumors that many teams are interested in Grant and Simons, and if they are traded, that would allow more playing time for their younger players in Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe . With the Blazers drafting Clingan, Ayton’s future in Portland has also been a hot topic.

Ayton is coming off of a down season where he played just 55 games due to injury. These 55 games played were the second lowest of his six-year career. When he was on the court though, the 25-year-old averaged 16.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 57.0 percent from the field.

After an injury-filled first year in Portland, Ayton may receive some interest from multiple teams around the league. He is still only 25 years old but has had problems staying on the floor over his six seasons in the NBA. He has played more than 70 games in a season just once, which was during his rookie year with the Phoenix Suns .

He has two years left on his contract where he will be making $34.0 million in 2024-25 and $35.5 million in 2025-26. He has yet to live up to his contract and Portland should not expect as large of a return in a trade package due to a team having to take on his salary.

Here are three potential trade destinations for Ayton this offseason.

New Orleans Pelicans

Pelicans trade for a new starting center

After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the New Orleans Pelicans believed that it was time for them to retool their roster. They started by trading for Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks , giving them a true point guard for next season and allowing CJ McCollum to return to his original shooting guard role. They also made a deal with the Washington Wizards to trade away Jonas Valanciunas in a sign and trade in return for draft picks.

The Pelicans have also been rumored to be actively shoppingBrandon Ingram on the trade market. It is clear that New Orleans believes that building around McCollum and Zion Williamson will allow them to take a step forward next season, but they still have one area that they need to figure out. That area is replacing Valanciunas and finding a new starting center this offseason.

In this mock trade, the Pelicans would send Ingram to the Blazers in exchange for Ayton and a 2029 first-round pick.

For the Pelicans, they would replace Valanciunas with Ayton as their starting center for next season. Although Ayton does not bring the outside shooting to the team that Valanciunas did, he is much younger and a better defender. With him and Zion in the frontcourt, the Pelicans would be able to dominate inside if both players are able to stay healthy.

They would also move Ingram, adding a younger and cheaper contract in Ayton. They would be able to open up $2.0 million in cap space, allowing them to possibly make a move during next season’s trade deadline if they are a contending team in the West. This would allow their young players like Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III to receive even more playing time while also making the team younger. With this move, New Orleans would build one of the best frontcourts in the NBA and be in a great spot to compete for the franchise’s first championship next season.

The Blazers would acquire Ingram, who is still young enough for them to build around during their rebuild. Ingram is still a solid player, and having him take over as the star of the team may allow him to grow even more. With a core of Henderson, Sharpe, Clingan, and Ingram, the Blazers’ rebuild could be over in the next few seasons if all the players continue to develop.

Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers pair Ayton with AD in the paint

After failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs, the L.A. Lakers have had a terrible start to their offseason. In the draft, they selected Dalton Knecht , who was projected to be a top ten pick and instead fell to them at 17, and Bronny James . The draft may be the only good part of their offseason so far besides re-signing LeBron James . They have failed to land another star to pair with LeBron and Anthony Davis , losing out on multiple players such as Klay Thompson , DeMar DeRozan , and Jonas Valanciunas. The team also has little to no cap space after D’Angelo Russell opted into his $18.6 million player option.

With the Lakers looking to make another run at a title next season, they still have enough assets to work a trade for another star. They have been rumored to be interested in Brook Lopez and Jerami Grant, but adding a center like Ayton next to AD in the paint would help them next season.

In this deal, the Lakers would send D’Angleo Russell, Rui Hachimura , Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025-second round pick to the Blazers for Ayton.

With Ayton added to their roster, the Lakers would create one of the best frontcourts in the NBA. The bad part about the pairing up front is their injury history, but if they are able to stay healthy, Ayton may be the player the Lakers need to make a run at title number 18 next season.

For the Blazers, they would receive Russell, who they would likely send to a third team or trade away at next season’s trade deadline. With Portland seeing Scoot Henderson as their point guard of the future, they want him to be the starter but could use Russell off of the bench. Adding Hachimura would allow them to become younger at the forward position, especially if they deal Jerami Grant to another team. Hachimura and Hood-Schifino would both be a part of the Blazers’ rebuild as they look to become competitive once again.

Golden State Warriors

Warriors add size

After losing Klay Thompson in free agency, the Golden State Warriors have made multiple moves already this offseason to try and replace him. They have already signed Kyle Anderson and worked out a sign-and-trade for Buddy Hield , giving them another great three-point shooter next to Stephen Curry in the backcourt. With Curry and Draymond Green still on the team, the Warriors are still going to be a contender next season, but they do need to add a true starting center to their roster this offseason.

This mock trade sees the Warriors trading Andrew Wiggins , Kevon Looney , Moses Moody and a 2026-second round pick to the Blazers for Ayton.

With the Warriors looking to move Wiggins this offseason, trading him for Ayton would be the right move. Ayton would bring size to a team that desperately needs it while also adding another solid paint scorer and defender. The Warriors would also open up more time for Trayce Jackson-Davis by moving Looney, allowing the young player to build on his impressive rookie season. They would also open up $6.0 million in cap space with this move, allowing them to go after another role player on the trade market.

With the Blazers taking on Wiggins and Looney, who do not fit their rebuild, Golden State would also likely have to include Moody as well, but even without him, they would be in a good spot to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season.

For the Blazers, they would likely look for a third team to send Wiggins and Looney to, but if they are unable to find another team, they could trade both players closer to next season’s trade deadline. The main piece for Portland in this trade is Moody, who would be another young guard for the team to build around. With Moody adding to their backcourt depth, the Blazer’s rebuild may be over soon as they look to become competitive once again in the post-Lillard era.

After a tough season last year, it is clear that the Trail Blazers are looking to move multiple players this summer. Most of the rumors about players they are looking to trade are centered around Grant and Simons, but Ayton may be on the move as well after Portland drafted Clingan in the first round. Ayton should gain some interest from other teams, but his injury history and large contract should hinder the amount of assets the Blazers receive in return.

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