Quick: Trail Blazers Couldn’t Live with Deandre Ayton’s ‘Bad Ways’

One day after the Portland Trail Blazers agreed to a buyout of starting center Deandre Ayton’s $35.6 million contract, The Athletic’s Jason Quick looked back at the rocky two-year stint (subscription required). It leaves readers mulling the possibility that the Trail Blazers made a mistake by acquiring him in 2023. It opens with a maxim from coach Chauncey Billups’ office, “You can have bad plays, but not bad ways,” and doesn’t shy away from Ayton’s connection to it.

But in the end, they couldn’t live with his bad ways. The tardiness to team flights and practices, according to a team source. The skipping of rehabilitation appointments. Fans saw him slam chairs when he was taken out of games. And a team source said there were tantrums in the locker room when he was sidelined for poor effort.

Quick notes Ayton’s talent is undeniable and he can provide some good production on the court, but in the end, his lack of self-awareness was the critical flaw. After Ayton’s arrival, Quick said Billups believed he could “instill some work ethic, humility and professionalism into Ayton.” But with a host of promising players who are still forming habits, the Blazers came to the conclusion that Ayton’s “bad ways” weren’t a tenable part of the team’s future.

But now, as the Blazers’ rebuild is starting to show signs of promise, it is clear the organization believed Billups couldn’t change Ayton. So Portland did what so many teams are reluctant to do: They admitted a mistake and cut ties.

After taking a $10 million reduction in salary, Ayton will be free to join a new NBA team, his third in eight seasons. Various reports have linked him as a possible target of the Los Angeles Lakers.