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07/02 17:55 CDT Deandre Ayton will join LeBron, Luka and the Lakers after
Portland buyout, AP sources say
Deandre Ayton will join LeBron, Luka and the Lakers after Portland buyout, AP
sources say
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) --- Center Deandre Ayton has agreed to join the Los
Angeles Lakers as a free agent, two people with knowledge of the deal told The
Associated Press on Wednesday.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal could not yet be
announced between the Lakers and Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA
draft --- two spots ahead of Luka Doncic.
The Portland Trail Blazers bought out Ayton's contract last weekend, and he has
agreed to join Doncic and LeBron James on a deal for the upcoming season with a
player option for 2026-27. He will be paid more than $25 million by the Blazers
while playing for the Lakers next year.
Ayton's arrival fills the Lakers' most glaring offseason need, providing a lob
target for James and Doncic. And while Ayton isn't known as a defensive
stopper, the 7-footer will provide the size in the middle that the Lakers have
missed since trading Anthony Davis to Dallas for Doncic.
Ayton, who turns 27 this month, spent his first five NBA seasons with Phoenix
before joining the Trail Blazers two years ago as part of the three-team trade
sending Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
Ayton struggled at times in Portland while playing for mediocre teams, but he
has averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds during his seven NBA seasons while
making 59% of his shots. He played only 40 games for the Blazers last season,
getting sidelined for the rest of the year in February by a strained calf.
While he has never been an All-Star, Ayton is the only player to average a
double-double in points and rebounds in his first seven NBA seasons since
former Lakers center Dwight Howard did it over a decade ago.
Ayton also knows Southern California after moving from the Bahamas to San Diego
to play high school basketball. He went on to the University of Arizona before
the Suns drafted him.
The Lakers struggled without Davis in the paint last season, with Jaxson Hayes
playing poorly enough to get benched by coach JJ Redick in their final two
playoff games. Los Angeles was eliminated from the first round of the
postseason by Minnesota in five games, with big man Rudy Gobert racking up 27
points and 24 rebounds in the clinching victory while the Lakers largely played
without a center.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
