RealGM Basketball Wiretap

30 July 2025

• Blake Wesley, Blazers Agree To One-Year Deal

  Blake Wesley and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a one-year deal. Wesley was recently waived by the Washington Wizards following his trade from the San Antonio Spurs.

  Wesley was the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft out of Notre Dame by the Spurs.

  Wesley appeared in 58 games last season with the Spurs, averaging 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.8 minutes.

• Damian Lillard On Return To Portland: 'I Wasn't Expecting It To Happen So Soon'

  Damian Lillard discussed his reasoning for re-signing with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, mostly focusing on his family.

  "Just knowing that I'm going to be back home for all parts of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets that I've driven on pretty much my entire adulthood, my whole family being here, my mom, my brother, my sisters, all my friends around the city of Portland," Lillard said. "All of those things count. I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon."

  Lillard signed a three-year deal with the Blazers last week that includes a no-trade clause and a player option for the third year.

  The 35-year-old did not rule out the chance of returning to the court next season as he rehabs his torn Achilles, though he added that he would not rush.

  "My prideful self would be thinking differently, but I think with age, you get wiser," Lillard said. "Like Joe [Cronin] said, it's going to be ultimately what's best, I think, to take as much time as possible to make sure that I'm right, that's what I'll do."

  Lillard currently holds franchise records for most points and 3-pointers. The Blazers won four playoff series and went to the Western Conference Finals once during Lillard's previous 11 seasons with the team.

  Chauncey Billups added that he was going to make Lillard an active participant in the team next season despite his injury.

  "I told him that this year he's going to be the highest-paid assistant coach in league history because I'll be putting him to work every day," Billups said.

• Damian Lillard Had Offers From 'Dozens' Of Teams, Expected To Miss Entire 2025-26 Season

  Damian Lillard had offers from "dozens" of teams around the league before signing a three-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

  "Boston, Minnesota, dozens of other teams had minimum and mid-level exception offers out to Damian Lillard in the last several weeks," said Charania.

  Lillard, general manager Joe Cronin, and head coach Chauncey Billups met at Lillard's house in recent weeks to figure out how reunite and move forward on a deal.

  Lillard is still expected to miss the entirety of next season as he rehabs his Achilles tear.

  Charania adds that being close to his children was the most important factor in Lillard's decision to return to the Blazers.

  "Being back with his three kids was by far the biggest and most important factor in Damian Lillard deciding to return and re-sign with the Trail Blazers," said Charania.

  Lillard and LeBron James are now the only players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause.

• Damian Lillard, Blazers Agree To Three-Year, $42M Deal

  Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract. The deal is expected to include a player option for the 2027-28 season and also a no-trade clause. Lillard is rehabilitating his torn Achilles suffered in the first round of the playoffs and is not expected to play during the 2025-26 season.

  Lillard was traded by the the Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2023-24 season following his trade request. The Blazers acquired Jrue Holiday as part of the original Lillard trade and then flipped him to the Boston Celtics. Portland acquired Holiday earlier this offseason, giving the team the possibility of pairing both veteran guards together.

  The Bucks used the waive-and-stretch provision on Lillard as the $113 million remaining on his contract will be spread out over the next five seasons. Milwaukee utilized the maneuver in order to sign Myles Turner.

  According to Marc Spears, Lillard was considering not exercising his $58.5 million player option for the 2026-27 season as living in Milwaukee away from his family had been a challenge.

  Lillard had multiple meetings among general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups as they discussed reuniting. Lillard had interest in remaining with the Blazers for his entire career, but requested a trade as free agency began in 2023 as it was clear the team was embarking on a rebuild around Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.

• Adam Silver Prefers To Keep Blazers In Portland But Team 'Likely Needs A New Arena'

  Adam Silver discussed the ongoing sale of the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, saying that he hopes new ownership keep the team in Portland.

  "It is our preference that that team remains in Portland. We've had great success in Portland over the years," said Silver at the NBA's board of governors meeting in Las Vegas.

  The estate of Paul G. Allen put the team up for sale in May.

  Silver added that the Blazers "likely needs a new arena, so that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in."

  The Blazers began play at the Moda Center in 1995. It is one of the NBA's oldest arenas that has not had any substantial renovations.

• Blazers Hire James Posey As Assistant Coach

  James Posey was hired as an assistant coach on Chauncey Billups' staff, the Portland Trail Blazers announced.

  Posey spent last season on the Suns' staff, and was with the Wizards for two years prior to that.

  Posey, who won two titles as a player, also won a title as an assistant coach on the 2016 Cavs staff.

• Blazers Tired Of Deandre Ayton's Bad Habits, Leading To Buyout

  The Portland Trail Blazers had publicly lauded center Deandre Ayton's work with rookie center Donovan Clingan last season. Behind the scenes, the Blazers had tired of Ayton's bad habits.

  Ayton was reportedly late to practices and flights, and would skip rehab appointments, throughout his tenure in Portland. The Blazers also didn't like Ayton's attitude when he was removed from games, especially when the veteran center wasn't showing the proper amount of effort.

  In part, not wanting to deal with Ayton being around young centers Clingan and 2025 draftee Yang Hansen, Portland was open to working a buyout. In the end, the Trail Blazers opened a roster spot, saved a reported $10 million, and cleared out center minutes for the young duo.

• Deandre Ayton Gave Back $10M In Buyout With Blazers

  Deandre Ayton gave back $10 million of his $35.6 million 2025-26 salary with the Portland Trail Blazers as part of his buyout agreement with the team. Ayton figures to command at least that much on the open market.

  Ayton was entering the final season of a four-year, $133 million contract he signed with the Indiana Pacers during the 2022 offseason that the Phoenix Suns subsequently matched. The Suns traded Ayton to the Blazers during the 2023 offseason.

  Last season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.1 minutes across 40 games with the Blazers.

  Ayton has been linked with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have their $14 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception available this offseason if they don't re-sign Dorian Finney-Smith.

• Deandre Ayton To Become Free Agent Following Buyout With Blazers

  Deandre Ayton and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a buyout agreement and will become an unrestricted free agent. The Blazers acquired Ayton from the Phoenix Suns as part of the multi-team Damian Lillard trade in 2023.

  Ayton was entering the final season of a four-year, $133 million contract he signed with the Indiana Pacers during the 2022 offseason that the Suns subsequently matched. Ayton had $35.6 million remaining on his contract. Shams Charania described it as "a sudden, surprising" development to have Ayton join the free agency class.

  Last season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.1 minutes across 40 games with the Blazers. The Blazers have a crowded depth chart at center with Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams and Yang Hansen.

  Ayton, who is represented by Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian, will undoubtedly be linked with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are searching for an upgrade at center and Ayton shares the same agent as Luka Doncic in Duffy. The Lakers could use the full non-taxpayer midlevel exception to sign Ayton following the decision by Dorian Finney-Smith to not exercise his player option.

• Trail Blazers Exercise Team Option For Rayan Rupert

  The Portland Trail Blazers have exercised their team option for guard Rayan Rupert. Portland will now have Rupert on the books at $2.2 million for next season, assuming they fully guaranteed his contract by the July 1 deadline.

  Rupert played in 52 games for the Blazers last season. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game. Portland drafted the now 21-year-old Rupert out France in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.