There are also tricks in the NBA? Media revealed that Ayton s buyout is a secret deal between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers

According to Shams Charania, a well-known ESPN reporter, 2018 No. 1 pick DeAndre Aiton reached a buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers, and he will become a free agent after 48 hours of clarification. As soon as the news came out, the fans were very excited - why did the Trail Blazers let go of a center who averaged 16.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game?

What makes people even more outrageous is that Trail Blazers media RIPCITYY directly pointed out: This is a secret deal between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers!

According to RIPCITYY, the Trail Blazers first let Ayton go, and after he joins the Lakers, the Lakers will exchange Hachimura for Jeramy Grant of the Trail Blazers. In this way, the Lakers exchanged one player for Ayton and Grant, and the Trail Blazers sent away the two high-paying players at the same time. What's more coincidental is that Ayton and Grant's agents are both Bill Duffy, which makes the deal seem to have other tricks.

Eaton's contract had one year left, with the amount being $35.55 million. Why would the Trail Blazers rather buy out than trade?

The author believes that the reason is very real, that is, Ayton is not cost-effective and the market situation is relatively limited. Although the Lakers can only give Ayton a middle-class exception of $5.7 million, James and Doncic create more shooting opportunities, which will help him to score data and get a high salary.

As for Grant, he has three years left in his contract, with a total of US$102.6 million, and his salary will be as high as US$32 million next season, making the transaction difficult. The Trail Blazers want to rebuild and are eager to get rid of his big contract, while the Lakers just lack players who shoot at the front line. This "turning deal" seems to benefit both sides.

However, this deal is only in the rumored stage. Can Ayton join the Lakers smoothly? Is Hachimura and Grant compliant with each other? All of these have to be proved. But what is certain is that there has never been a shortage of things in the NBA offseason, and the rumors of this "secret deal" must be the most confusing one among them.

According to the author's opinion, the logic of this "secret transaction" is so lively. The main reasons are the pressure of team salary and the demand for the lineup. The Trail Blazers are in the process of reconstruction, Ayton's $35.55 million contract and Grant's $102.6 million long-term contract are all heavy burdens for the team. How great is it to buy out Ayton and send Grant away, which can not only free up space for salary, but also give up a place for rookie Yang Hansen. On the Lakers, it is an old problem to lack personnel in the interior. If Ayton joins, he can immediately improve his ability to protect the basket; Grant's shooting from the outside can also make up for the Lakers' shortcomings in the striker. Both parties can get what they want, and the logic of this transaction is reasonable. The influence of the agent and the role played by the media in it cannot be underestimated. As the agent of Ayton and Grant, Bill Duffy is also a proxy for trading players on both sides. It is hard not to doubt that he is making trouble behind the scenes. After all, the interests of the agent are tied to the player's contract, which will not only allow Ayton and Grant to have better development opportunities, but also earn more commissions for themselves.

In addition, the media often exaggerates rumors for traffic. Although there is no conclusive evidence for the RIPCITYY revelation, it has successfully attracted the attention of many people. The trading rules that the NBA has always followed are because of its strict characteristics, so that any "secret transaction" you want to do must fully comply with the salary regulations and relevant transaction terms. For example, if the Lakers plan to trade Hachimura for Grant, they have to ensure that their salary is up. If Ayton wants to join the Lakers, he must not violate the restrictions on signing after buying out. If these conditions have been set long ago cannot be met, the corresponding transaction cannot be completed smoothly.

Following the established rules step by step. It was originally a scope of normal business activities, but it was over-interpreted by many fans in the media. After all, in an environment where interest games are everywhere in the NBA, whether it is a team or a player, the principles of doing things are to make the benefits the greatest. Even if some so-called "abnormal" situations may occur, the league will definitely not ignore this, so fans should keep their rationality when watching the excitement and never be easily influenced by various rumors.

After all, basketball games and trading activities themselves have great flexibility. As for where Ayton and Grant will go in the end, and whether the Lakers' lineup can be improved by this, all of this can only be seen.