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Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton Were ‘Motivated’ to Play Together on Los Angeles Lakers

Originally posted on Dallas Hoops Journal
By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 4:19 PM ET

According to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Luka Dončić and Deandre Ayton were “motivated” to play together on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ayton agreed to a two-year deal with the Lakers after getting bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers. The big man and Dončić share the same agent, Bill Duffy.

“The players share an agent — WME Sports’ head of basketball Bill Duffy — and were motivated to team up given the Lakers’ well-chronicled need for a front-line center,” Stein wrote. “Ayton is said to have had another advocate within the Lakers’ ranks recommending that L.A. sign him: Former Blazers-turned-Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks.”

Ayton was the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, while Dončić 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.

Dončić can sign a contract extension with the Lakers on August 2 for as much as four years and $229 million. The superstar point-forward 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.

Dončić 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 Dončić and LeBron James. They didn’t have a center to stop Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle or Naz Reid, which is why Rob Pelinka went after Ayton.

Unless the Lakers make a trade this offseason, head coach JJ Redick is expected to start Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James and Ayton next season.