Deandre Ayton has not reached the height people had for his as a No. 1 pick, but perhaps a stop with the Lakers can revive his career.
With the need for a center being the big, looming question over the summer for the Lakers, we’ll be taking a look at a number of potential targets, both via free agency or trade. Today, we continue with Deandre Ayton.
The City of Angels is a place where people with aspirations of success and a pursuit of something more come to achieve their goals.
Often, these tales are discussed in relation to aspiring actors and individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit. But what about NBA players?
Instead of Los Angeles being the beginning of a tale of fame and riches, perhaps it can be one where a player takes one last shot at becoming what people always thought they’d be.
Enter Deandre Ayton. He never became a superstar or lived up to the expectations that come with being a No. 1 pick, but he still averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Blazers this past season.
Could Ayton come to the Lakers and turn himself into an integral piece to a championship team, a la Dwight Howard back in 2020?
How would he fit with the Lakers?
Offensively, we’ve seen what happens when Ayton gets going. He makes a living inside the paint, scores well from the dunker’s spot and is a vertical lob threat.
Ayton converted on 51 alley-oops across 47 games as a Blazer last season. One can envision how his joining forces with Luka Dončić should increase those attempts and lead to easy buckets for the Lakers.
Jaxson Hayes played this role with Luka last year, but Ayton is a far better center. He can also score in the post, using his strength and footwork to create his own shot inside in ways Hayes cannot.
Still, like Hayes, Ayton is far from a perfect player.
In the basketball details, Ayton can be frustrating to watch. He seems to easily cede space on the floor when dealing with physicality. Ayton struggles with setting screens and maintaining his position.
With Los Angeles already having suspect defenders like Luka, Austin Reaves and even LeBron James for stretches, perhaps adding Ayton would be including another defensive liability to the rotation.
How much would the Lakers have to give up?
Ayton is signed through the 2025-26 season with Portland, but that means he is entering a contract year. If the Blazers want to get out of the Ayton business, this is their last chance to trade him and retain some value. Otherwise, he’ll be able to walk away for free next summer.
Ayton doesn’t come cheap as he is set to earn over $35 million next year. So, the Lakers would have to get rid of multiple rotation players, such as Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent or Jarred Vanderbilt, for example, to make a deal work.
That’s an all-in kind of deal for a very flawed player. However, with the center market having a plethora of buyers, this could be the best course of action the Lakers can take.
Health is another factor the Lakers have to consider regarding Ayton. He had a calf strain that ended his season in February. Ayton has also dealt with lower back issues, ankle injuries and knee soreness that have kept him off the floor.
He has only played 63 or more games three times in his seven-year career. Considering the hefty price tag on his contract, assuming Ayton will be available is a risk in and of itself.
How realistic of a target is he?
Over the past few months, the Lakers have traded for Luka and have even been sold themselves with Mark Walter becoming the new majority owner. The word realistic seems to be more warped in Los Angeles than it normally is.
If the Blazers are, in fact, looking to sell Ayton, the Lakers will have the pieces to make one of the more intriguing offers in the NBA.
It will all depend on how eager Portland is to move the center and how much the Lakers believe they can optimize Ayton in ways other teams have failed to.
This upcoming year is far from the end of the road for Ayton, but if he underperforms, he can expect a very hefty decrease in pay with his next contract.
His original team, the Phoenix Suns, thought it best to move on from him back in 2023
If the Blazers do the same after just a couple of seasons, Ayton could soon find himself no longer receiving much lower offers than a max contract from teams.
No scenario is perfect, and Ayton most certainly comes with risk. The Lakers have to decide if that’s a chance worth taking at the price that’s required to gamble.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.