Trail Blazers News: Portland Star's National Team Eliminated from Olympic Qualifiers

He's not going to Paris, after all.

Feb 4, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) passes the ball to forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) as Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4) and center Deandre Ayton (2) defend in the third quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton's Team Bahamas fell to Team Spain during the pre-Olympic qualifiers over the weekend, 86-78, despite fielding a roster that also included Ayton a pair of high-level NBA guards Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon. The club was coached by Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

This means that the former No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft will be headed home earlier than he may have been anticipating this summer.

After an up-and-down first season in Portland, Ayton faces an uncertain future with the franchise. Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin elected to draft an intriguing young center, former two-time University of Connecticut Huskies NCAA champion Donovan Clingan, with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Portland finished with a 21-61 overall record last year with Ayton on board, and doesn't seem likely to win in a big way again anytime soon. As such, it might behoove Cronin's front office to look to offload Ayton and the remaining two years and $69.6 million remaining on his generous contract this summer.

Across 55 healthy contests in 2023-24, the 7-foot big man out of Arizona averaged 16.7 points on 57 percent shooting from the floor and 82.3 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 11.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks a night.

Ayton's backup, Duop Reath, will be heading to the Olympics, as a key contributor for Team Australia.

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