As the Lakers turn over every stone in search of a center, they are in the race for Deandre Ayton following his buyout from the Trail Blazers. The hold on Ayton, however, may have also hindered the Lakers’ plans of signing a familiar veteran center.
Report: Ayton Free Agency Throws Wrench in Lakers Plans
Latest on Lakers Pursuit of Ayton
During live coverage of this year’s free agency, Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane revealed that the Lakers, as expected, are waiting on Ayton, who clears waivers Wednesday.
“Rather than sign Brook Lopez, the Lakers are likely to wait for Deandre Ayton. We’ll see if that turns out to be true, but [a] little bit of info just came my way there.”
The rumor comes after a similar report by insider Chris Haynes, who said that Ayton to LA is a “strong possibility.”
“I think it makes sense just for the route that the Lakers are trying to go,” he added. “This is Luka’s team, and they want to build for him. They want to have guys around the same age that can go where he goes. So I think you’re looking at the future of what the Lakers are trying to do.”
Ayton’s Possible Fit with the Lakers
Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, spent the last two years as a solid starter on a rebuilding Blazers team. This season, despite only playing 40 games, he averaged 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block per game. He also shot 56%, 19% from three (6/32) and 67% from the charity stripe. A February left calf strain sidelined him for four weeks before it kept him out for the rest of the season.
The bruising big man has skills the Lakers need in the starting lineup. Aside from being a legitimate lob threat, he also has a reliable post-up game and decent midrange jumper. At 26 years old—as Haynes mentioned—he is also a seamless fit for the future with Luka Doncic, who has thrived with athletic centers.
In evaluating a potential fit between Ayton and the Lakers, “Hoops Tonight” host Jason Timpf said, “In order for a team to make sense for DeAndre Ayton, they basically have to be desperate. And the Lakers are desperate.”
Citing previous concerns around Ayton’s attitude, he added, “A disengaged, unfocused Deandre Ayton is still several orders of magnitude better than any center the Lakers currently have in-house. For Lakers fans, if it goes down, be ready to be incredibly frustrated with Deandre Ayton sometimes. But just remember, it could have been Jaxson Hayes, could have been substantially worse.”
If the Lakers pull off an Ayton signing, especially for a cheaper deal, it would catapult them into the “winners” category of free agency.
Lakers Miss Out on Lopez Reunion
The Lakers were also tied to Brook Lopez, who started for them in 2017-18 before spending the last seven years with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, any notion of a reunion is out the window since he agreed to a deal with the rival Clippers, backing up another former Laker in Ivica Zubac.
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