3 teams desperate enough to trade for Deandre Ayton

As the Portland Trail Blazers look to steer their rebuild in the right direction, several big names on the roster may be on the move to clear playing time for some of their younger players.

One of those names that could possibly be on the trading block is center, Deandre Ayton, who Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has suggested could be moved.

Ayton arrived in Portland in the trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks after spending his first six seasons in Phoenix, the franchise drafted him No. 1 overall.

During his time in Rose City, Ayton averaged 16.7 points,11.1 rebounds, and a steal on 57 percent shooting in 58 games. He dealt with various injuries, which may have impacted his play on the court last season along with battling for minutes with Rob Williams, who has proven to be better than Ayton in spots.

Despite the lackluster stats, Ayton still looked solid in what might be his only season in Portland, showing that he can still play at a high level.

Considering the Blazers, who are coming off a 21-61 season and missed the playoffs, took UConn big man Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft it makes Ayton expendable and a valuable asset to a team that could be looking to pick up a solid center. These three could be interested.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers, driven by their relentless pursuit of another championship during the LeBron-Anthony Davis era, are still searching for the right pieces to achieve their goal.

Despite winning it all in 2020, they have yet to reach the mountain top in recent years, failing to get it done in the postseason, with their latest loss coming from the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 Western Conference playoffs.

To make matters worse, the Lakers missed out on some significant free agents, such as Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan. That said, they could salvage what was a disappointing offseason by making a trade to acquire Deandre Ayton.

Deandre Ayton could be the missing piece that gets them back to the promised land. With his ability to stretch the floor and play inside when Anthony Davis is off the court, Ayton could be a valuable addition to the Lakers frontcourt. They'd have to sacrifice some depth to get it done but they could go big and send a package like D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Jared Vanderbilt and Jalen Hood-Schifino for Ayton and Anfernee Simons or Jerami Grant.

2. New Orleans Pelicans

After another disappointing NBA Play-In Elimination, the New Orleans Pelicans are on the verge of retooling.

They already made a splash by trading for Dejonte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks, giving them a true point guard in the backcourt to pair with CJ McCollum. They also parted ways with Jonas Valanciunas. The Pelicans could make another splash, bolstering their frontcourt and bringing in Ayton.

Ayton would replicate a lot of what they got from Valanciunas with more defensive upside and could benefit from another offensive option along with Williamson. Considering that the Pelicans are looking to move Brandon Ingram, a potential Ingram-Ayton trade could be a win-win for both franchises.

The Blazers would get a player with a high ceiling that could instantly ramp up their rebuild. Ingram would become a go-to guy in Portland and potentially help their younger players, Shaedeon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson come along slowly without taking too much of the offensive load, while the Pelicans solve their glaring issue of a center picking up a rim protector and elite rebounder with tons of upside.

1. Golden State Warriors

After losing Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors have been looking to fill the void by signing players like Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson. If they can't land Lauri Markkanen from the Jazz, they could make one major move ahead of the season by trading for Deandre Ayton.

Ayton could instantly boost the Warriors with size that they lack up front, with Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Draymond Green as their current big-man rotation. His play style would fit right in with the Warriors, as he could serve as a solid pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop partner for Steph Curry and provide a reliable low post option.

He could also be a perfect defensive anchor and rebounder.

It's no secret that the Warriors are looking for the missing piece that could win them one more ring. Ayton could be that missing piece that could get them back to another championship in the twilight of Stephen Curry's career.