Did you know Luka Doncic wasn’t the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft? That honor went to Portland Trail Blazers star, Deandre Ayton. The big man was picked first after an electrifying season with the Arizona Wildcats— just goes to show how the league viewed him on his come-up.

However, things haven’t exactly gone his way since the Phoenix Suns drafted him. Missing games through injury and underperforming when he’s fit have left him unable to follow through on the promise he showed as a prospect. But it seems the Blazers still have faith in him since they traded for him despite his massive contract. And we’re not exaggerating, it’s quite a lucrative deal.

What is Deandre Ayton’s salary with the Lakers? When does his contract end?

Following a buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers, Deandre Ayton signed a two-year, $16.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2025. The deal includes a player option in the second year. Despite taking a significant pay cut, Ayton will still earn $34 million during the 2025-26 season when you combine his buyout money with the Lakers contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

This marks a major financial shift for the former No. 1 overall pick. Ayton was previously playing under a four-year, $132 million deal he signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2022—the largest offer sheet in NBA history at the time. Though the Indiana Pacers originally extended that offer, the Suns matched it to retain him. That contract made Ayton one of the league’s highest-paid centers and was set to run through the 2025–26 season before the buyout agreement.

His departure from Portland was reportedly mutual. Ayton and his camp approached the Trail Blazers about a buyout in search of a more competitive environment, while Portland aimed to free up space to focus on developing their younger core.

Reports from NBA insiders indicate that multiple teams inquired about Ayton’s locker-room presence and received “strong reviews surrounding Ayton’s leadership and mentoring of big men such as Donovan Clingan.” that multiple teams inquired about Ayton’s locker-room presence and received “strong reviews surrounding Ayton’s leadership and mentoring of big men such as Donovan Clingan.”

How much has DeAndre Ayton made over the years in the NBA? What’s his net worth?

The Phoenix Suns were generous in how they paid Deandre Ayton. In his five years in Arizona as an NBA player, Deandre made a whopping $70,695,298 in salary. That’s around $14 million a year! His time at the Blazers was also lucrative, bringing in $66,464,564 in just two seasons.

Even after agreeing to the buyout, Ayton will have made a total of $172,710,676 in NBA salaries by the end of the 2025–26 season. This total includes his newly signed $16.6 million deal with the Lakers. No wonder he had a reported net worth of $35 million in 2024. However, these reports remain unconfirmed, so do take this number with a grain of salt.

Now on the Lakers, and with a contract year looming in 2026, Ayton will be playing with a chip on his shoulder and a motivation to earn another big payday. He’s still just 26 years old, in his prime, and eager to prove doubters wrong on one of the league’s most high-profile teams.

What are Deandre Ayton’s endorsements? Does he have a shoe deal?

“Nike is Nike. Adidas is Adidas. I’ve played in their circuits and stuff like that, but now it’s a business. You don’t want just product. You’re not a kid anymore. You’re really trying to get bank. That’s about it,” said Ayton to the Athletic when he signed a historic deal with PUMA.

The German footwear brand made Ayton and Marvin Bagley the faces of their basketball subband. They were tasked with revitalizing their basketball division and with PUMA later having signed LaMelo Ball and Dennis Schroeder, we’d say Bagley and Ayton did their jobs well!

This isn’t the only endorsement he has though, Ayton is also signed to brands like NBA 2K, AT&T, and Champs. However, we don’t know much about these deals nor how much he makes from them.

What we do have an inkling about is the luxurious house he owns in Paradise Valley.

Where does Deandre Ayton live? What’s the worth of his house?

It’s the place you spend the most time in. So of course, you want to ball out when buying a house. And that’s exactly what Deandre Ayton did when purchasing a 6,100 square feet property in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Sources suggest this house is worth $2.1 million.

With five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and even a formal dining room, we think that figure is true. The house even has a wet bar and home office for crying out loud! How many places do you know that have both of those things?

And in this house’s garage, rests the insane car collection Deandre Ayton owns.

What car does Deandre Ayton drive? What’s in his car collection?

Online sources report that Deandre Ayton has a cornucopia of expensive, luxury vehicles. He owns the monstrous (in a good way) Lamborghini Urus and the Mercedes G500 as far as SUVs go. But it seems he wanted to taste real luxury because he also has a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Cars don’t get swankier than a Rolls-Royce.

But it seems Ayton is also an environmentalist as shown by him owning a Tesla Model X. But who knows? Maybe he just likes the insane pickup. Speaking of liking things, the Blazers center may be partial to the Dodge brand as he owns not one but two of their cars. He has a Dodge Charger Hellcat and a Dodge Challenger. Two amazing vehicles in their own right.

At the end of the day, Deandre Ayton has done really well for himself. Not only has he achieved his dream of playing in the NBA, he’s become a multi-millionaire in the process. However, his story isn’t over just yet and we’re sure he’ll keep at it till he owns a few NBA rings!