The Lakers got their center, and it’s the guy drafted two spots ahead of Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Lakers and Deandre Ayton have come to terms on a two-year contract, with a player option in the second year, a story broken by Chris Haynes and confirmed by multiple other reports.
This is as good a free agent center signing as the Lakers were going to make — he’s the best available free agent center and a good fit on paper. Getting Ayton to live up to how good he looks on paper and not to be a disruptive force has been a challenge at all his stops.
Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game last season in Portland, and a couple of seasons ago in Phoenix averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds a game. On offense, when focused, he is a very good fit as the kind of big man who thrives next to Luka Doncic as a rim-runner and lob threat (34.4% of his shots last season came at the rim and he shot 82% on them), plus he has a silky midrange jumper from his spots on the floor.
Defensively, he is a big body in the paint, but not a great shot blocker (averaging one block per game last season).
The challenge with Ayton has always been getting him to live up to that potential on paper.
Ayton has had fellow teammates and basketball staff call him “immature,” someone overconfident in his contributions despite “inconsistent effort” (often, but not always, off the record). He is seen as a diva, something Jason Quick detailed recently in a story at The Athletic.
“The tardiness to team flights and practices, according to a team source. The skipping of rehabilitation appointments. Fans saw him slam chairs when he was taken out of games. And a team source said there were tantrums in the locker room when he was sidelined for poor effort.”
Ayton can’t bring that attitude or effort level into the Lakers building — this is LeBron’s locker room, and he has built a Hall of Fame career entering its 23rd season based on being prepared and bringing it every night. Doncic will count on him to bring it every night and not be a distraction. Coach J.J. Redick is a younger, former player head coach who can connect with players, which could help in this case. If that trio can all keep Ayton focused — if a team just buying him out rattles his cage a little bit — this will be a terrific signing for the Lakers.
The Lakers are betting they can get the best out of Ayton. They are also doing it on an affordable contract.
Ayton has agreed to a two-year, $16.6 million contract with Los Angeles. The Lakers can afford it because Ayton will take up the approximately $8.3 million remaining in the Lakers’ mid-level exception (the other part of it went to Jake LaRavia). This season, the on-paper pay cut from $35 million a season won’t impact Ayton because he’s still receiving all of it from his buyout from the Trail Blazers (the amount the Lakers pay him will be discounted from that number). However, next season he can opt out and test the market, or re-sign with the Lakers.
How all of that goes will depend on how this season goes, and how close Ayton comes to living up to his on-paper potential.
