Blazers News: Deandre Ayton Surprisingly Dissed by Fresh Fantasy Centers Ranking

The Portland vet logged monster numbers during the 2023-24 season's final months.

Apr 11, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) shoots a jump shot during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Despite a patchy start that hardly fulfilled his promise of a "DominAyton" season in 2023-24, Portland Trail Blazers starting center Deandre Ayton still wrapped up his first run in Rip City with totally respectable fantasy basketball numbers — outside of one critical stat: availability. The 7-foot big man out of Arizona appeared in just 55 contests last year, but logged a fairly efficient double-double of 16.7 points on 57 percent field goal shooting and 82.3 percent foul line shooting, along with 11.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks a night.

The Portland vet also submitted monster numbers during the 2023-24 season's final two months. Was it a fluke? Will he survive the year with the team, or will Portland general manager Joe Cronin look to ditch the remaining $69.6 million owed on his contract in exchange for future draft equity and/or young players, with No. 7 draft pick Donovan Clingan presumably waiting in the wings for his job?

All that remains to be seen.

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Dan Titus of Yahoo Sports, for one, is a bit reserved when it comes to assessing Ayton's fantasy value. He lumps the maximum-salaried center in his fourth "tier" of fantasy hoops fives, just behind 3-and-D Indiana Pacers big Myles Turner, rising Detroit Pistons five Jalen Duren, and All-Star Cleveland Cavaliers pro Jarrett Allen. Also in this tier, Ayton is ranked a smidge above four-time Defensive Player of the Year Minnesota Timberwolves stalwart Rudy Gobert, and washed-up two-time All-Star Chicago Bulls trade flotsam Nikola Vucevic.

"I'm not feeling Deandre Ayton this year, but if you need a big man in the sixth round, he's the fair and reasonable option," writes Titus. "The Blazers spending their seventh overall pick on C Donovan Clingan was a weird signal that I want no part of, as Portland projects to be one of the worst teams in basketball."

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Titus alludes to an impending projected logjam at center this year. Beyond Ayton and Clingan, Portland also boasts a pair of two additional rotation-caliber bigs in the forms of one-time All-Defensive Second Teamer Robert Williams III and second-year big Duop Reath. Whatever happens, the on-court product will be a tough watch. So for Portland fans, fantasy owners may derive the most joy they'll have all year out of drafting Ayton.D

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