DeAndre Ayton’s debut season as a Trail Blazer did not meet expectations. The center, who joined the team in the 2023 offseason via a trade, averaged fewer points in more minutes than he did in his final year with the Suns. Many expected the former first-overall pick to have a massive year in a low-pressure environment. But instead, he regressed, which Eddie Johnson believes is a red flag for his prospects.
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With rumors swirling that the Trail Blazers would part ways with Ayton for the right offer, the retired star warned the center that he could soon find himself out of the NBA if he doesn’t improve his production in the upcoming season. In a post on X, Johnson wrote,
“DA has to find a way to truly fall in love with the game to match his very good skillset and if not he will become a journeyman until year 10 or 11 and be gone.”
DA has to find a way to truly fall in love with the game to match his very good skillset and if not he will become a journeyman until year 10 or 11 and be gone. https://t.co/VCi8DoDbiv
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) August 5, 2024
Ayton has only two years left on his current deal and would ideally like to sign a new contract at the end of the upcoming campaign and secure his future. However, if he doesn’t play up to his potential, he’d likely play the 2025-26 season with no guarantees about his future.
An unfortunate injury in his contract year could leave him with no option but to sign A veteran minimum deal or perhaps leave the NBA. Johnson, a journeyman who played for seven teams in his 18-year career, believes in Ayton’s skillset.
However, he has warned him that he’d have to play much better than last season if he intends to have a lengthy career. The center has also acknowledged that he wasn’t up to par last year and revealed he had a difficult time adjusting to his move to Portland.
Deandre Ayton opened up on his struggles in Portland
In an interview in March, the 26-year-old revealed that swapping Arizona for Oregon was more arduous than he expected. He claimed he didn’t settle in before the season commenced, which affected him throughout the season. Ayton said,
“My body wasn’t just my body. People forget the humane difference of me adjusting to everything. Just being comfortable in waking up. I didn’t have a bed for quite some time. I was on an air mattress. Just trying to figure this out.”
The Trail Blazers could part ways with the center before the trade deadline. He’d have to be prepared to uproot his life again and move to a new city. While a move to a team that could contend for the title would be ideal, he’d likely prefer staying in Portland and having a terrific year to earn a contract extension.
Whether he joins a new team or stays with the Trail Blazers, Ayton will have to improve next season to improve his prospects of having a long career in the NBA.
