Deandre Ayton posted a thank you message for the Portland Trail Blazers, and finished it with a message for the Los Angeles Lakers.

There are more than depth chart issues behind the Trail Blazers cutting ties with Deandre Ayton. The former first overall pick in 2018 by the Suns now has to find a new team after being bought out of his contract with Portland on Monday.

The veteran center instantly becomes a surprise addition to a free agent market thinned by reported re-signings. The 26-year-old big man is coming off arguably the poorest season of his career, tying a career low in scoring (14.4 ppg) while playing in just 40 games with Portland last season.