After losing out on Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, and Clint Capela, the best free agent center for the Los Angeles Lakers to target is Deandre Ayton, although he is far from perfect.
Heading into the NBA offseason, one of the biggest priorities for the Los Angeles Lakers was to find a proven rim protector and lob threat to pair with Luka Doncic and the final years of LeBron James.
Brook Lopez and Clint Capela seemed to be the favorites, but the Lakers missed out. Other free agents like Myles Turner, Kevon Looney, Luke Kornet, and Naz Reid all signed elsewhere, and the Lakers’ options are limited.
Former first overall pick Deandre Ayton was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers, and despite some questions surrounding his motor and competitiveness, he would be a solid fit for Los Angeles.
Ayton has fallen victim to the same criticisms as Doncic
Before being picked by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA Draft, Ayton described his definition of NBA success as simply getting to his second contract, which was met with scorn.
He did clarify that he felt he would only get the contract if his team succeeded, but the damage was done. In 2024, he missed a Blazers’ game because his driveway was frozen over, prompting even more doubts about his competitive nature.
“In the end, they couldn’t live with his bad ways,” reported The Athletic’s Jason Quick about the Blazers agreeing to part ways with Ayton.
“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.”
If that sounds familiar, maybe you’ve been listening to Nico Harrison a bit too much, as he sang a similar tune to help justify trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers last season.
In Dallas, Doncic was an elite player, but his effort and conditioning were long a subject of controversy, and Harrison decided it wasn’t worth the hassle, shipping him out for Anthony Davis.
Could two players with a similar reputation find success together? The Lakers might have to find out, as there aren’t many options left.
Ayton could be an ideal fit for the Lakers
Doncic and Ayton have long had a mutual respect for one another, and despite the top pick being overshadowed by many of his draft classmates, he is still a productive player.
In seven seasons, he has averaged 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and a block, and is one of the better interior scorers in the league.
A lineup of Doncic, James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Ayton anchoring the defense should be more than enough to compete in the West, and recent free agent signing Jake LaRavia rounds out a bench with Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Bronny James.
Ayton is not great at spacing the floor and is far from an elite defender, but he’s serviceable, and playing on a team that clearly wants him there might be enough to fix any attitude problems that may or may not exist.
