Ayton finally gets free! Many teams in the league are eyeing each other. Who will grab this inside beast?

Aiton's buyout storm: When the No. 1 pick meets the realist NBA

1. The careful calculation behind the buyout

The buyout negotiation between the Trail Blazers and Aiton is a carefully designed chess game. The former No. 1 pick, the remaining $35.6 million contract will be digested in installments.

Salary expert Bobby Marks did the calculations:

Aiton is expected to give up 8-10 million in exchange for an opportunity to enter the free market early.

Trailblazers avoided the luxury tax (just 12 million from the tax line).

makes room for growth for No. 16 pick Klingen (16+9 per game in the summer league).

Portland management obviously values ​​the future more.

2, "Mr. 10+10" embarrassment

Ayton is one of the only four players who have maintained "10+10 per game" in the first seven years of their careers, tied with Antetokounmpo, Jokic and Towns. His 59.7% hit rate is even higher than O'Neal, which should have been a hot capital.

But reality is skinny:

In the 2021 finals, he scored 22+19 against Antetokounmpo, and people thought it was the coronation of the new king of Phoenix.

Unexpectedly, this became the pinnacle of his career.

Stability became his reason for being ignored.

3. The love, hate, and affection in the Sun era

The contract renewal farce in the summer of 2022 is like an absurd drama:

The sun boss Savor first refused the maximum salary, and then hurriedly matched it after the Pacers quoted it, and attached a "ban transaction clause".

After team reporters revealed that the conflict between Ayton and Coach Monty completely broke out in the 2023 playoffs, and the evaluation of "lack of killer instinct" became a turning point. After transferring to the Trail Blazers, his attendance and defensive efficiency continued to decline.

4. The free market sentient beings are interested, but the Heat can only issue a middle-class contract of 6.4 million.

The Mavericks' movements are worth paying attention to. Harrison, who chose Ayton, is now at the helm of Dallas.

Due to the buyout clause, Ayton's new contract is likely to be a transitional agreement, just like short-term tenants looking for better opportunities.

5. The dusk of the center era

In the past 20 years, there was a curse in the NBA: 40% of the No. 1 centers failed to get a second contract with the parent team.

ESPN analysts pointed out:

"The current centers must be able to switch defense and make three-pointers. "

Downs can get a maximum salary of 224 million, while the traditional centers are depreciating.

Ayton's buyout is a vivid footnote to this era of transformation.

(Data as of July 2024, salary rules refer to the new version of the Labor and Capital Agreement)