That decision gave insight into the archetype of big that Portland wants to build around.
With the emergence of Donovan Clingan this season for the Portland Trail Blazers, and the continued flashes of future promise from Yang Hansen as a rookie, it’s becoming very clear what Portland is building in its future frontcourt. The Blazers do not just want size. They want skill at the center position.
They want players who can step out and shoot threes, serve as tertiary facilitators and connectors, and keep the ball moving within the flow of the offense. That is the type of frontcourt Portland appears to be prioritizing, and it already has two young centers who fit that vision.
Of course, Clingan is much further along than Hansen at this point, which is to be expected. Clingan has already shown that he can impact winning at a high level, anchor the defense, rebound and continue growing offensively in ways that make him look like a real long-term piece. Hansen is earlier in that process, but the flashes have still been encouraging and meaningful when projecting what Portland could eventually have in place.
And when looking at both of them together, it further validates the decision the Blazers made in buying out Deandre Ayton before the end of last season. Ayton, despite being a former No. 1 overall pick with real talent and upside of his own, clearly did not fit the archetype of what Portland is trying to build from a roster construction perspective. He was more of a traditional lob-threat big man, while the Blazers seem to be leaning toward skilled centers with more versatility and feel.
So yes, Portland had to eat money in order to move on from Ayton. But in doing so, it cleared a runway for the centers of the future. It also gave fans a much clearer directional indicator of what this team is supposed to look like when the time comes for the Blazers to take the next step toward becoming a real playoff contender.