NBA Transfer: Deandre Ayton joins the Lakers. Luka Dončić « excited » about this signing!

The Los Angeles Lakers announced the arrival of Deandre Ayton on Wednesday, just hours after his release from the Portland Trail Blazers. The 26-year-old center signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal with a player option for the second year.

According to The Athletic, Luka Dončić is « excited about playing with Ayton, » which is a positive sign for the player’s integration into the Lakers system. The pick-and-roll connection between the two players will be crucial for the success of this signing.

A calculated gamble to fill the center position

After seeing Brook Lopez and Myles Turner join other teams, the Lakers found in Ayton an affordable solution to strengthen their frontcourt. The former first overall pick in the 2018 draft comes with career averages of 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, almost guaranteeing a double-double.

However, Portland agreed to release Ayton due to recurring attitude problems. According to The Athletic, the Trail Blazers « could no longer tolerate his bad habits, » including lateness to practices and team flights, as well as missing rehabilitation sessions.

For the Lakers, this recruitment represents a bet on Ayton’s ability to return to his 2020-2021 form, when he helped Phoenix reach the NBA Finals. Alongside Chris Paul, he averaged 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in playoffs with 65.8% shooting accuracy.

The key question is whether the pressure of playing for a historic franchise alongside LeBron James and Luka Dončić will be enough to remotivate a player who has never fully realized his potential since entering the NBA.