Lakers' Rob Pelinka Breaks Silence On Deandre Ayton Signing

The Los Angeles Lakers have long been searching for another big man to add to their roster, and have made it a major point of this offseason to secure depth down low.

After signing 26-year-old center Deandre Ayton to the squad, president and general manager Rob Pelinka spoke on not only prioritizing this move, but how this fit will benefit the rest of the roster.

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“Acquiring a starting-caliber center was the top priority for us this offseason, and we believe Deandre is an amazing solution to that objective and is an ideal player to add to our current core,” Pelinka said. “Deandre’s size, mobility and athleticism will allow both paint scoring and paint protection.

“Deandre’s playoff experience as a starter on an NBA Finals team also aligns well with our ultimate Lakers championship aspirations.”

Ayton's playoff experience is perhaps the most underrated facet to his game. His 15.9 points and10.5 rebounds average during 45 career playoff games includes 62.9 percent shooting from the field.

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Ayton spent the first five seasons of his career as a member of the Phoenix Suns and was since traded to the Portland Trail Blazers shortly before the start of the 2023-24 campaign. His pair of seasons in Portland featured 15.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and one block per game on average.

The Trail Blazers bought out the remaining contract of Ayton, freeing him up to sign a two-year deal with the Lakers. Especially with an elite playmaker like Luka Doncic as the focal point of the offense, expect Ayton to be a vertical threat on offense and smashing the glass down low on defense.

One of the clearest areas that the Lakers need to improve upon from last year is rebounding as L.A. grabbed the fourth-fewest boards per game last season.

Ayton will look to provide help on both ends of the court and look to compliment a Lakers offense that would greatly benefit from both his height and skillset.

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