Exclusive Ayton is agreeing to buyout

So we are keeping Rob now, right?

 

They just didn’t wanna take on more players(contracts/money) for a couple 2nds to trade Ayton. That’s my opinion. I think that is the play with Grant and with Ayton/Jabari/Banton gone we can take back some matching salaries for some players to be happy sitting at the end of the bench in a Grant deal. That’s my guess and yes I think we are gonna have to throw in a future pick.

 

Ok so assuming the holiday trade goes through (which hard caps us) and we buyout ayton for 20 mil because he has a full MLE deal somewhere else, here are the implications:

With an Ayton buyout for $20 million, saving $15.5 million, Portland’s 2025-26 payroll drops to $165.6 million, which is:
- $11.3 million over the salary cap ($154.3 million), so no cap space is available.
- $22.1 million under the luxury tax ($187.7 million).
- $29.7 million under the first apron ($195.3 million, their hard-cap limit).

This opens up:
- Non-Taxpayer MLE: ~$13.2 million, fully available to sign free agents
- Bi-Annual Exception: ~$4.8 million, potentially available (if not used in 2024-25) for another signing.
- Minimum Contracts: Ability to sign multiple players at ~$1.2 million each to fill roster spots, staying well under the hard cap.
- Increased Flexibility: The $15.5 million savings provides $29.7 million under the hard cap, allowing Portland to use the full MLE, potentially the BAE, and multiple minimum contracts without hitting the $195.3 million hard cap, significantly enhancing their free agency options compared to the pre-buyout scenario ($14.2 million under the hard cap).

 

LOL did anyone really expect anything for Ayton - give me a fukkin break! He's off the team and we may get 15 mil plus in cap savings

 

This genuinely makes me feel better about this move if 1) we make use of this flexibility by adding talent, 2) Jody actually agrees to spend.

But what is the likelihood of him landing the non-tax MLE?

 

Would be funny if he signs in Charlotte, making it the second time he is the replacement to Nurk

 

Thank you for a great break down and it is way better if it works out this way than any lousy expiring we might get back, well done Joe!

 

Yes we are hardcapped at the 1st apron, but we have so much space under it that it's not going to make a difference.

 

Really think 15 is stretching it. My guess is 5

 

Also: Clingan walks into next season as the shoe-in starter. That's fucking great. No dilly-dallying with having to start Ayton and doing the will-he won't he dance during the season to see if Ayton is traded.

 

Same, there is no reason to stretch this

 

this is the biggest (likely only) positive from this transaction

 

We took a swing with Ayton and missed. Instead of taking someone else's problem, we take some cap space. Will see how much Ayton gave up but I like the move. Better to admit a mistake than to make it worse.

 

Yeah, sunk cost fallacy. Just like the GP2 saga, the FO seems to be willing to move on.

 

Ayton knew he was gone. He listed his house for sale for $17M

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8r3yfhc/

 

Also just to be clear, we would have been able to the use almost all of the MLE without buying out ayton because we are a non taxpayer team, but to do so with ayton and a new MLE guy would have made them only 4-6 mil under the hard cap. Very little room to do anything else.

not that I’m assuming they are going to sign someone to a big MLE contract anyway.

 

Meanwhile Scoot is…… on the bench again?

 

i dunno how you excuse these moves?

they put themselves in these positions. and they waited too long before realizing their mistakes.

ending up with nothing in return is not something i find acceptable.

 

wrong again, with teams like Char and LA and perhaps a few others desperate for a C paying Ayton 14 mil is really very reasonable