Deandre Ayton Reveals Why He Signed With Lakers Over Other Contenders

The Los Angeles Lakers have solved their biggest roster issue heading into next season by adding Deandre Ayton into the fold. Ayton is now going to be their starting center after signing with LA.

Ayton was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers after two disappointing seasons. He is now with his third team after being the number-one overall pick back in 2018.

The 26-year-old had a lot of teams that were interested in bringing him in. Recently, he revealed why he decided to sign with the Lakers as opposed to one of the other contenders who were pursuing him.

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Ayton revealed that he believes that the Lakers are the best fit for him because their goals are aligned.

“They want to win a championship right now, and I want to win right now as well and just be part of a winning legacy and be around winners. And everyone said it was something difficult to think about, but it just brings me back to playing with the Suns and being part of a winning organization."

“Once you win, everything is easy. And that’s what I want to be a part of again. The last two years [were] just a different route for me, and I just learned a lot that when you don’t win in this league, you can be forgotten.”

Ayton didn't look motivated to play hard at all while he was in Portland. It was one of the biggest reasons why the Trail Blazers were frustrated enough with him to buy him out of a huge deal.

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Despite his troubles with two different organizations, Ayton was clearly the best option available for the Lakers once all of the other centers were signed.

Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, and Clint Capela all moved to different teams. That left the Lakers without many options on the board, so signing Ayton to a two-year deal was a no-brainer for them.

Whether or not Ayton will show a willingness to try harder and develop his game remains to be seen. LeBron James certainly won't stand for a lack of effort while playing with him.

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