Lakers Finally Land Their Starting Center in Deandre Ayton
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Deandre Ayton to be their starting center.
BREAKING: DEANDRE AYTON IS A LOS ANGELES LAKER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/v8Q9SsE4xD
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) July 2, 2025
Ayton agreed to a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers this week, allowing him to enter free agency. The Blazers will still pay Ayton $25.5 million in the upcoming season.
The Lakers gave Ayton a two-year $16 million deal with a player option for the 2026-27 season. LA will use the remainder of the mid-level exception to sign Ayton.
The former number one overall pick now joins fellow 2018 draft pick Luka Doncic and star LeBron James on the Lakers.
In the 2024-25 season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points per game along with 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a block. He shot 56.6 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three.
This means Deandre Ayton will get the remainder of the Lakers mid-level exception.
They have $8.3 million remaining of it after using a portion of it on Jake LaRavia. https://t.co/YZLfayL9Zw
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 2, 2025
Deandre Ayton’s Fit
The 26-year-old big man should fit well as a lob threat for Doncic. He had his most productive seasons of his career when playing alongside an elite playmaker, specifically Chris Paul, during the Phoenix Suns’ run to the NBA Finals in the 2021 campaign.
This prove-it deal for Ayton could allow him to earn a bigger payday next season, and with talented playmakers like Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves, Ayton should have a productive season.
Doncic has proven to thrive alongside lob threats in the past, as he elevated the play of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II on the Dallas Mavericks run to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Ayton is a major upgrade over the Lakers’ center core at the end of the 2024-25 season. LA started Jaxson Hayes at the end of the season and opted to go with a small-ball lineup during the playoffs. Although Ayton isn’t an All-Star, his size will help them match up with bigger teams.
Deandre Ayton has the potential to revitalize his career with the Lakers and is a big addition for the Purple and Gold.
While the Ayton pickup is a good start, Rob Pelinka and the front office have work to do. They are in need of a backup center and a 3&D forward after losing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets.
