At Portland Trail Blazers Media Day 2023, one of the newest Blazers, center Deandre Ayton took the podium to voice his thoughts on the new season and his new situation. During his availability, Ayton continually came back to the same message: leadership.
Ayton is only 25 years old, but has spent five seasons in the NBA and played major minutes in the NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns. On a new-look roster that exudes youth, Ayton, perhaps the most hyped incoming player from the Damian Lillard trades, will be looked at as a veteran presence in the locker room.