Deandre Ayton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trail Blazers Notes: Henderson, Clingan, Billups, Offseason

April 16th, 2025 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Scoot Henderson looked more like a high lottery pick in his second NBA season than he did as a rookie, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. The No. 3 selection in the 2023 draft improved his shooting numbers to 41.9% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range and got to play in some significant games as the Trail Blazers remained in play-in contention late in the season.

“I’d say this year, I guess the game kind of slowed down,” Henderson said. “Things like that only come from playing and experiencing the NBA in general … I think I had more fun.”

Fentress adds that Henderson plans to spend the offseason working on his technique in all parts of the game, with an emphasis on learning how to be a better shot creator for himself and his teammates and finishing near the basket with his left hand. His confidence is buoyed by Portland’s success, as the team went 23-18 over the second half of the season and won 10 of 11 games at one point.

“I kind of liked seeing a little bit of who we are,” he added. “We kind of got our swag there, and when we get our swag like that, it’s tough to stop.”

There’s more from Portland:

Rookie Donovan Clingan began to blossom when starting center Deandre Ayton suffered a season-ending calf injury in early February, Fentress states in a separate story. Clingan started getting consistent playing time and responded by averaging 8.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for the rest of the season. “It was great to see DC out there get some good bump,” Ayton said. “Knowing that he’s a two-time national championship guy, I know he wasn’t used to coming off the bench. So, just having the half of the season, starting, you could definitely see the confidence build up. And you saw his body change a little bit, him getting into better shape.”
In another piece, Fentress shares the details of the contract extension head coach Chauncey Billups received last week. League sources tell Fentress that the Blazers picked up the fifth-year option on Billups’ current deal and added two more seasons, extending it through 2027/28. The new contract is fully guaranteed, Fentress adds, and Billups received a raise, although the amount wasn’t disclosed. Sources tell Fentress that Billups earned about $4.7MM this season.
The Blazers should stick to their long-term plan and not get caught up in this season’s success, contends Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). He compares the situation to the 2016 offseason when Portland invested heavily in free agents after Damian Lillard led the team to an unexpected fifth seed and a first-round playoff victory.

Deandre Ayton To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Calf Strain

February 12th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trail Blazers starting center Deandre Ayton injured his left calf during a blowout loss to the Nuggets on Monday.

Further imaging has indicated that Ayton is dealing with a strained left calf, according to the Blazers, who announced in a press release that the seven-footer will miss at least the next four weeks. At that point, he is set to be reassessed.

The Arizona alum had been a critical component of the Trail Blazers’ midseason turnaround. Without him available, Portland will likely lean even more on impressive rookie lottery pick Donovan Clingan.

In 40 games overall this season, Ayton is averaging 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals.

During a recent 12-2 Trail Blazers stretch, the former No. 1 overall pick saw those numbers improve to 17.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. He was also shooting 57.4% from the field during that run.

At 23-31, without Ayton for a month and now on a three-game losing streak, the 13th-seeded Blazers’ postseason hopes seem to be fading fast.

Ayton is currently Portland’s priciest player, earning $34MM this season. He has one year left on his four-season maximum-salary deal, worth $35.5MM in 2025/26.

Ayton’s recent play could go a long way towards rehabilitating his trade value across the league, though he has struggled with injuries throughout his career, having appeared in 58 or fewer games three times in the last five seasons prior to 2024/25.

Blazers GM Cronin On Quiet Deadline: ‘We Just Didn’t Find The Value’

February 7th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers were viewed for much of the season as a likely seller at the trade deadline, with veterans like Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton among the players believed to be available.

However, Portland was one of just five NBA teams that didn’t make a single trade in the week leading up to Thursday’s deadline. Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, general manager Joe Cronin explained why the club’s inactivity.

“We know a lot of fans, and probably a lot of people in here, prefer a little bit of action,” Cronin said. “Often, we do too. We’re always looking for ways to participate in these windows and find guys who can help us be better. But this time around, we just didn’t find the value. So, we decided to pass.

“… I would say we got fairly close on a few things. Nothing that dragged out all the way through (Thursday). Some of the stuff was exhausted over the last couple of weeks. There are a few that made some sense for us and for the other team, but just didn’t happen.”

Grant, Simons, Williams, and Ayton aren’t necessarily part of the long-term core in Portland, which is headlined by younger players like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan. But Simons, Williams, and Ayton have one more year left on their respective contracts, while Grant is locked up for at least two more seasons beyond this one, so there was no urgency to move them right now — there will be opportunities to do so in future transaction windows.

Cronin said on Thursday that he likes having those veterans around for their leadership and their “functionality on the court.” The Blazers’ GM noted that he also “had to consider not rocking the boat” during the team’s recent hot streak. After an uninspiring 13-28 first half, Portland has unexpectedly won 10 of 11 games since January 19 and is suddenly within 2.5 games of a play-in spot.

“I think it would be unfair to take (the chance to reach the postseason) away from them,” Cronin said. “I’m so proud and so excited about these guys that the sky’s the limit. Go win. Let’s see what you can do.”

Head coach Chauncey Billups said he was appreciative of the opportunity to keep working with this roster.

“I love what we have,” he said. “I love what we’ve been working on. I love how we’re developing. Right now, we’re learning a lot about each other. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Here are a few more Blazers-related items:

Jason Quick of The Athletic details how a series of four meetings – including one in which Billups directly challenged Henderson and two in which he delivered “brutally honest assessments” to Sharpe about his defense – helped spur the Blazers’ turnaround.
The Blazers hold an option on Billups’ contract for the 2025/26 season, according to Quick, who hears from agent Andy Miller that team ownership has yet to talk to the head coach about his future in Portland. “I have not had any discussion with them regarding his option and possible extension,” Miller said. “We are completely confident with his development and body of work as a coach. He is well-respected league-wide as both coach and a leader.”
While there was a widespread belief earlier in the season that Billups was unlikely to remain in his current role beyond 2024/25, he deserves a lot of credit for pushing the right buttons in recent weeks, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Nobody on the team wavered on Chauncey’s message [early in the season],” Simons said earlier this week. “It can be frustrating at times when you don’t see the results. But we stuck with it. We’ve been sticking with how we want to play. It took some time to get adjusted to playing faster now, getting to know each other. But he’s been preaching the same thing all year. We’re seeing the results of the things he’s been preaching.”

Trade Rumors: Cavs, Hunter, Boucher, Heat, Blazers, Pacers

February 6th, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Hawks continue to discuss a potential trade that would send forward De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland, as Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line tweet. Reporting earlier this week indicated that the two teams were talking about a deal centered around Hunter and Caris LeVert, with a subsequent report referring to the Cavs as the frontrunner to land Hunter.

According to Fischer and Stein, one complication in the talks is that both Cleveland and Atlanta would like to end up below the luxury tax line.

The Hawks are currently below that threshold by approximately $1.2MM, while the Cavs are above it by about $1.8MM, so a third team would likely need to be brought in as a facilitator to take on a contract and ensure both teams are able to remain out of tax territory.

The Pistons, who still have a good deal of cap flexibility, could be a third party to watch, observes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA with the 2025 deadline just a couple hours away:

After agreeing to acquire Brandon Ingram and accommodate a Miami salary dump, the Raptors are still exploring the possibility of making one more move, likely involving big man Chris Boucher, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
The Heat, who are about $2.8MM above the luxury tax line after reaching a deal with Toronto today, will likely continue trying to get below that threshold before this afternoon’s deadline, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Although the Trail Blazers have a handful of veteran trade candidates on their roster, there hasn’t been a ton of trade chatter in Portland, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, who suggests that big man Robert Williams is the only player consistently mentioned in the days leading up to the deadline. Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Deandre Ayton had also been considered available, but they’re on bigger contracts and have played crucial roles in the Blazers’ recent hot streak.
Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star explains why various moves and reports from around the league point to the Pacers having a relatively quiet trade deadline.
Arguing in favor of the Knicks keeping center Mitchell Robinson rather than trading him, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) makes the case that a healthy Robinson is the most impactful player the team could realistically add this month.

Western Notes: Davis, Sexton, LaVine, Bane, Blazers

February 3rd, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis won’t make his Mavericks debut on Tuesday. He has been ruled out due to the abdominal strain he suffered with the Lakers before their blockbuster trade with Dallas, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal tweets. Davis was originally listed as questionable against Philadelphia.

Dallas wraps up its road trip at Boston on Thursday, then hosts Houston on Saturday.

We have more Western Conference news:

Jazz guard Collin Sexton sprained his left ankle as he drove to the basket in the first quarter against the Pacers on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Sexton, Utah’s second-leading scorer at 18.7 points per game, didn’t return, and will undergo further evaluation Tuesday. Sexton is considered a prime trade candidate. He has one year and $19.175MM remaining on his contract after this season.
Zach LaVine is expected to suit up for the Kings on Wednesday, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. Sacramento’s acquisition of LaVine became official on Monday. LaVine hasn’t played since last Monday due to the birth of his child.
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane has a foot sprain but it’s not considered serious, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Bane underwent an MRI on Monday morning. Coach Taylor Jenkins said it was good news, based on the potential outcomes, so it appears Bane won’t be out an extended period. Bane is averaging 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night.
The Trail Blazers are open to trading Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Highkin believes if Grant or Simons are moved, the Trail Blazers would prefer a player they can add to their long-term core, rather than prioritizing draft picks. Robert Williams is another potential trade piece but the bar is higher than most people would think for the big man, as a package of second-round picks probably wouldn’t be enough for Portland’s front office, Highkin writes.

Trail Blazers Notes: Sharpe, Ayton, Avdija, Henderson

January 20th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe came off the bench Sunday night as coach Chauncey Billups removed him from the starting lineup due to frequent defensive lapses, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. When Billups informed Sharpe of the decision before the game, he included a clear message about the need to improve on that end of the court.

“It was a good convo,” Sharpe said. “He basically just told me what I needed to do. And today, I think I took a big step in doing what he said. So, I just got to continue to do that, and we’ll be all right.”

Sharpe responded by playing 33 minutes in a win over Chicago, slightly more than he usually sees as a starter. He scored 23 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and Billups was happy with the effort he displayed on defense.

“I was proud of him,” Billups told reporters. “I thought defensively, he was locked in. which is where he needs to be. … I think with him when he’s locked in defensively, it helps his offense. It makes him go.”

There’s more from Portland:

Deandre Ayton, who sat out Saturday’s game with low back soreness, and Deni Avdija, who missed three games with an ankle issue, both returned to the court on Sunday night, Fentress adds in a separate story. The extra size helped the Blazers post a 50-36 advantage in rebounding, which led to 17 fast break points. “When we can get out and get our guys going and play fast and move the basketball, we’re pretty tough to play against,” Billups said.
Scoot Henderson continued his recent stellar play with 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 38 minutes. The past four games have marked one of the best career stretches for Henderson, who was selected with the third pick in the 2023 draft. “It’s starting to become so consistent with Scoot,” Billups said (Twitter link from Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report). “I thought he did a good job of picking his spots but continuing to be on attack the whole game. Because we need it. He’s at his best that way. He’s playing really well. I’m proud of Scoot.” Anfernee Simons sat out Sunday’s game with a right elbow strain, so Sharpe may remain in a bench role when he returns if Henderson keeps playing well.
The Rockets, who won at Portland on Saturday night, could provide a good blueprint for the Blazers, Highkin states in a full story. They were recently in a similar position, but were able to make a quick turnaround due to the development of their young players and an aggressive approach to free agency. “It’s the stage Houston was in before I got there, where they were trying to figure out who is who with a stockpile of lottery picks,” coach Ime Udoka said. “They’re in that same mode right now, with some of those young guys.”

Western Notes: Kawhi, Morant, Sheppard, Blazers

January 9th, 2025 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he was in full support of star forward Kawhi Leonard stepping away from the team to be with family who had been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Lue added that “a few people on the staff” were also impacted by the fires and weren’t with the team in Denver on Wednesday.

“You definitely have to take care of home,” Lue said. “And so (Leonard) totally had my support, 100%. Going back, checking on his family and kids and making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”

Leonard is still rounding into form after missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from an offseason procedure on his knee. Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic, the two-time Finals MVP said his first two games back have felt like his “preseason.”

“I’m happy the knee is responding well. That’s what I’m more focused on than anything,” Leonard said. “But, you know, it’s hard to not want to be as aggressive as I want to be on the floor. It’s going to be a time to come. Once my lungs and my legs get there, start building up, I’ll start really assessing my play and seeing what I need to do better.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since December 27 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Houston, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Memphis has lost three of the five games Morant has missed within the last couple weeks, so his return – whether it comes on Thursday or in another game or two – will be a welcome one.
After being assigned to the G League this week for the first time, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard responded exactly like you’d want a No. 3 overall pick to respond, racking up 49 points, eight 3-pointers, and eight assists in his first game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. Sheppard has had a hard time establishing himself as a regular rotation player this season for a deep Houston squad, but Tuesday’s performance in his NBAGL debut was a reminder of his upside as a scorer and shooter.
In his latest mailbag, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) discusses various Trail Blazers topics, with a focus on trade scenarios. Highkin believes it would be in the Blazers’ best interests to move Jerami Grant before the February 6 deadline, though he acknowledges that trades involving players on big contracts have become more challenging in the current CBA landscape. Highkin still considers Grant the most likely of Portland’s top trade candidates to be moved, ahead of (in order) Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton.

Northwest Notes: Grant, Kessler, Collins, Williams, Strawther, Braun

December 17th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers figure to be one of the more active teams in the trade market and Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report lists a handful of players who could be moved if the right offer comes along. That group includes Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams.

Grant may be at the top of that list, according to Highkin — there’s a market for the productive veteran forward and there will never be a better time for the Blazers to move him. Rival teams are indicating that two first-rounders is more than they’re willing to give up for Grant, but that could change by the deadline. Grant had a 32-point game against San Antonio on Friday.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Walker Kessler and John Collins have been bright spots in an otherwise disappointing start to the season for the Jazz, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. However, lottery pick Cody Williams‘ struggles during his rookie year raise some concerns. Williams got rotation minutes early in the season but has spent the last few weeks working on his game in the G League.
The Nuggets would like Julian Strawther to fire away, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes. Coach Michael Malone wants to see Strawther put up more three-point shots. “It gives us a boost. It gives us a guy off the bench that you can play through and run plays for,” Malone said. “His catch-and-shoot ability, the three-point line. … He’s taking four a game at a really healthy clip. Let’s get that number up to six, six-and-a-half threes per game.” Strawther, who has scored in double figures four straight games, has made 39% of his threes on 3.4 attempts per game.
Nuggets guard Christian Braun missed his first game since the 2023 Western Conference Finals, Durando tweets. Braun sat out Monday’s game against the Kings due to a lower back strain. Braun is averaging 15.0 points a game in his first season as a full-time starter.

Northwest Notes: Gordon, Camara, Blazers, Filipowski

December 7th, 2024 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Battling some right calf soreness last month, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon attempted to play anyway and made the injury worse, suffering a calf strain that sidelined him for 10 games. According to Gordon, the initial soreness was the sort of pain he played through “all the time” earlier in his career, but the 11th-year veteran acknowledges he’s “getting older now” and may have to rethink that approach.

“I was trying to play through something I probably shouldn’t have played through,” Gordon told Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “The whole side of my leg was bruised. I tried to play through it. My calf just took the brunt of it.”

As Durando details, Gordon has become one of the Nuggets’ most valuable players, serving not only as a crucial part of the starting lineup but as the team’s best option to back up Nikola Jokic at center. As a result, head coach Michael Malone will have to be careful not to overuse Gordon, who exceeded his minutes limit in his second game back from his calf injury on Tuesday (he played 33 minutes), then logged 34 more minutes on Thursday.

Following that heavy usage vs. Golden State and Cleveland, Gordon is back on the Nuggets’ injury report, listed as questionable to suit up on Saturday in Washington due to that same calf strain.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

After Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara exited Friday’s game vs. Utah early due to a right foot ailment, head coach Chauncey Billups said after the game that Camara will undergo imaging on that injured foot, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter links). Camara has started all 23 of Portland’s games so far this season, averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while playing solid defense.
To add insult to injury, the Trail Blazers were blown out by the lowly Jazz by a score of 141-99 in Portland on Friday, prompting Billups to tell reporters after the game, “Our spirit just wasn’t right,” according to Highkin (Substack link). As Highkin writes, starting center Deandre Ayton was benched for nearly the entire second half because Billups “didn’t like his spirit” and fans in Portland booed the home team off the court at the end of the night. “It’s tough to be booed, but sometimes you feel like you deserve it,” Blazers forward Jerami Grant said. “Losing by 40 to a team that now has five wins… We’ve got to get our s–t together.”
The Jazz assigned rookie forward/center Kyle Filipowski to the G League on Thursday, but his stint with the Salt Lake City Stars will be brief, head coach Will Hardy told reporters, including Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). While fellow rookie Cody Williams has been with the Stars since November 25, Filipowski will be back with the Jazz for Sunday’s game after registering a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) in his NBAGL debut on Friday.

Fischer’s Latest: Melton, Warriors, P. Williams, Lakers, Blazers, More

November 22nd, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Luke Adams

With De’Anthony Melton out for the season, his $12.8MM expiring contract should become a useful trade chip for the Warriors, Jake Fischer said on Friday in his latest Bleacher Report live stream (video link). As Fischer acknowledges, Melton’s expiring money and Non-Bird rights will have little value on their own, but attaching draft picks or players to him could create an attractive outgoing trade package for Golden State.

Discussing what kind of player Golden State may target with that sort of package, Fischer suggests a frontcourt addition is a possibility. The Warriors had interest in Kelly Olynyk at last season’s deadline and believe he’d be a good fit for their system, according to Fischer, who adds that the club may also consider more of a rim-running big man.

However, Fischer wouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors seek out a more direct replacement for Melton. As he explains, Golden State was high on the veteran guard not only for his fit next to Stephen Curry but because he gave the team a second lockdown point-of-attack defender to complement Andrew Wiggins. Finding another player who could fill that role could be a priority for the front office.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Bulls are “more willing than ever” to discuss forward Patrick Williams in a trade, says Fischer (video link). Williams is in the first season of a five-year, $90MM deal and continues to experience foot pain following a February surgery, so his value would likely be limited at the moment, but that could change if he shows he’s healthy and begins to produce more consistently.
Fischer continues to hear that the Lakers are scouring the market for a center, with Jonas Valanciunas‘ name still coming up frequently. The Wizards‘ big man is “definitely available for trade,” Fischer says (video link).
While Fischer also brought up Robert Williams as a possible option for the Lakers, he says he has talked to people around the league recently, including scouts, who believe the Trail Blazers may be more inclined to trade Deandre Ayton than Williams at this season’s trade deadline. Given that Ayton’s cap hit is nearly three times higher than Williams’, the Blazers may have a hard time extracting much of value for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Fischer suggests there are NBA veterans currently playing overseas or for national teams who will soon be looking to sign G League contracts (video link). Robert Covington, currently representing Team USA in AmeriCup qualifiers, is one player to watch, Fischer reports. There also may be some players returning stateside from the Chinese Basketball Association, since several who signed in China have received month-to-month contracts.
Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, Fischer shared some ideas for in-season tournaments that the NBA considered before settling on the current format. One idea on the league’s “long list of half-baked ideas,” according to Fischer, was a 32-team single elimination event that would’ve included two marquee teams from Europe.