Luka Doncic ‘Excited’ To Play With Deandre Ayton On Lakers

Deandre Ayton has agreed to a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The deal is for two years and $16.6 million. Between the Portland Trail Blazers and Lakers, Ayton will make $34 million next season. 

According to Dan Woike and David Aldridge of The Athletic, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is “excited” about playing with Ayton.

Doncic and Ayton have the same agent. Ayton was the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, while Doncic was the third pick. 

In 40 games for the Trail Blazers last season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 56.6% from the field and 66.7% from the free-throw line. 

Ayton has career averages of 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds. He helped the Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021.  

Doncic can sign a contract extension with the Lakers on August 2 for as much as four years and $229 million.

The superstar can also agree to a two-year extension to get him to 10 years of service in the summer of 2028, when he could sign a five-year max contract at 35% of the salary cap to maximize his earnings.

Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists with the Lakers last season after the Dallas Mavericks traded him in February.

The future Hall of Famer then put up 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in the Minnesota Timberwolves series.

The Lakers lost to the Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games despite having Doncic and LeBron James. They didn’t have a center to stop Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid. 

Los Angeles is projected to start Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James and Ayton next season.