DeAndre Ayton is undoubtedly one of the most offensively talented big men in the league, but concerns about his motor and health will determine how aggressively the Lakers should pursue him.
One of the many ways the Lakers can address their needs at center this summer is to simply look for the best available offensive player.
When ranking the top centers in the league based solely on offensive talent, you can’t get very far without mentioning DeAndre Ayton. He is a flawed player in many ways, but when healthy and motivated, he has a skill set that LA should consider, including the cost of acquiring him via trade.
At 7’1, Ayton not only fills the height requirement but has rare deep playoff run experience as a starter under his belt at 26 years old. LA witnessed firsthand his potential as he played an integral part in eliminating them in the 2021 playoffs.
In just 40 games last season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and a block per night. He averaged more points than all the non-AD centers on LA combined.
He’d give the Lakers a short roll threat they’ve been looking for. Ayton has a nice touch in the paint and a patented mid-range jump shot, as shown below.
Ayton converted 45.8% of his mid-range jump shots. According to the NBA’s tracking data, this ranked fourth in the league among all centers who attempted at least one per game. A screen partner who is a threat from outside the paint area is a significant asset and opens up offensive opportunities in other areas of the floor.
When playing as the pick-and-roll big man, he shot 58.2% and scored 1.13 points per possession, placing him in the 57th percentile league-wide. The context involves being paired with young ball handlers in Portland, numbers that would undoubtedly improve alongside Dončić and LeBron James.
A clear skill needed for this position is the ability to catch lobs. The Arizona product has a 7’6 wingspan and a 43.5-inch vertical leap measured during the pre-draft process. Questions arise when discussing his motor, but when he is locked in, he can change ends quickly and possesses elite jumping ability for a big man.
Watch below as he sprints down the floor to catch a one-handed lob in transition.
One advantage of size is the extra possessions created. Following the trade, LA sorely missed the 2.6 offensive rebounds per game Davis provided for the team. Ayton is a great offensive rebounder, not only with good timing, but quick twitch on second jumps and put-backs, as demonstrated below.
Ayton averaged 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, putting him fifth among all centers playing at least 30 minutes per game.
In addition to the athletic profile, Ayton is listed at 250 pounds, a good size against the bigger centers around the league without conceding much in the lateral quickness department.
He’s a mobile big man on the defensive end, with the ability to switch and absorb contact on drives to the basket, even having success against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the clip below.
The most consistent criticisms of Ayton are the motor and night-to-night engagement, which are high concerns on a Laker team in most need of defensive production. Playing on a bad team in Portland can induce bad habits that are tough to change.
Ayton, in addition, missed 42 games last season, something to take into account when assessing what to trade.
LA is also not in a position to be particularly picky, especially if they want to hold onto as many assets and players as possible. This is a calculated risk they could pull the trigger on.
His salary is high for matching purposes as it’s in the $35 million range, but it is an expiring contract and Ayton will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Depending on LA’s goals for finding their big man of the future — whether they want to do it now or through another transaction cycle — Ayton could be a high-risk, relative low-cost option for next season.
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