To say that Deandre Ayton gets injured a lot would be an understatement. Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, that sentence is once again relevant. After exiting Monday night’s lopsided loss to the Nuggets with a calf issue, the team has determined that the former first-overall pick will miss at least the next four weeks.
Ayton has started 40 games for Portland in 2024-25, putting up 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest with a 19.7% usage rate that ranks sixth on the team among qualified players.
It’s more than likely that another former lottery pick will now take Ayton’s place in the starting five. Donovan Clingan has not shown much of a scoring touch in his 40 appearances this season, yet the rookie has illustrated the defensive ability that made him a high pick in the NBA Draft. In fact, in his 10 starts in 2024-25, Clingan is averaging 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. For the season as a whole, he’s producing 14.6 boards and 3.4 blocks per 36. He’s obviously an intriguing fantasy asset going forward with an increased role, though it is worth noting that Clingan’s only exceeded 30 minutes of action once in his brief professional career.
With the season winding down and the Blazers in possession of a 23-31 record, there’s a decent chance that we don’t see Ayton play again in 2024-25.
