'Top Priority For Us': Los Angeles Lakers Reveal Why They Signed Deandre Ayton

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal following his buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced Monday.

Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, joins a Lakers roster featuring Luka Dončić—taken third in the same draft—and LeBron James, forming a formidable new frontcourt trio in Los Angeles.

“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,” Lakers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob 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.”

The signing comes just months after the Lakers’ lack of depth at center was fully displayed in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Head coach JJ Redick opted not to use a traditional center for the second half.

Instead, Redick rode a small-ball lineup of LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith without substituting. It marked the first time since 1998 that a team used the same five players for half of a playoff game.

Redick’s decision to sit centers Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len magnified the team’s limited frontcourt options. The Lakers ultimately lost that game 116-113 and fell behind 3-1 in the series, before being eliminated in five games.

Ayton, who turns 27 on July 23, brings a straightforward solution to that void. He appeared in 40 games for Portland last season, averaging 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game while shooting 56.6% from the field.

A seven-year veteran, Ayton owns career averages of 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 398 career games with the Suns and Trail Blazers. He played a pivotal role on Phoenix’s 2021 NBA Finals team and now enters a championship-focused situation in Los Angeles.

Ayton and Dončić share the same agent, Bill Duffy, and now team up as members of a revamped Lakers roster for the first time. Redick is expected to start Dončić, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Ayton next season.

After a first-round exit as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, the Lakers hope Ayton can stabilize the frontcourt and balance a lineup anchored by two All-NBA talents.

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