How well does the Lakers' newest acquisition fit with the team?

While Deandre Ayton certainly has the name recognition, as a former No. 1 overall pick, the question remains: How does his on-court game actually fit with the Lakers?

With elite positional size (7-foot, 250 pounds), soft hands and a multifaceted offensive game, the former Arizona star is undeniably going to be an enormous step up from anyone who logged minutes at center for the Lakers last year post Anthony Davis. 

However, for a team trying to surround the playmaking trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves with as many 3-and-D wings and rim-running rim-protecting bigs as possible, is Ayton really the most ideal fit?

In truth, no. Ayton, while talented, is not a center quite in the mold of players like Derek Lively II or Daniel Gafford, who've already shown a clear ability to cover up for Doncic’s defensive shortcomings and amplify his offensive brilliance. Ayton is not typically viewed as an elite lob-threat, and has never averaged more than 1.5 blocks per game for a season. 

With that being said, it's worth acknowledging the lackluster alternatives of big men still available on the free-agent market. It feels a bit strange to fault the Lakers for their pursuit of Ayton when their next best options were nothing to write home about. 

Even Al Horford, who the Lakers have reportedly been eyeing over the past few days, is a solid potential addition as a floor-spacing rim-protecting big man but should not be logging more than 20 minutes per game at this stage of his career. At just 26, Ayton should possess both the youth and versatility to immediately step into and hold down a 30+ minute per night role with the Lakers.

Despite Ayton’s big name recognition and the “splashiness” of this signing, the Lakers' roster still needs a ton of work. Ayton provides the Lakers with some much-needed size, but in a conference that includes Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Alperen Sengun and Ivica Zubac, just to name a few, that's the barrier for entry as far as contention is concerned. 

Rebounding and interior finishing may ultimately be what proves to be Ayton’s most valuable traits for the Lakers next season, and that’s just fine. Ayton may not be able to shoot the three-ball or protect the rim at the caliber of noteworthy centers who switched teams in recent days like Myles Turner or Brook Lopez, but if he can just remain healthy and dominate the interior, the Lakers should look back on this signing with great assurance.