Exclusive Ayton is agreeing to buyout

Whenever @THE HCP says “TRUST ME” you know he’s lying.

 

OUCH! ha ha! I love it!

 

I don't believe for a second that this is a real quote.

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45652105/2025-nba-free-agency-winners-losers-offseason

Loser: Los Angeles Lakers

From the moment the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic in a surprise blockbuster, they desperately needed a center. They lost their previous starter, Anthony Davis, in the Doncic trade, and Doncic's game would mesh perfectly with a dynamic pick-and-roll partner. There's a reason Daniel Gafford broke out once he joined Doncic in Dallas and that Dereck Lively II was an impact rookie on the same team.

So it was no surprise that the Lakers agreed in principle to trade for a young, bouncy center immediately after acquiring Doncic. But when they rescinded the Mark Williams deal because of a failed physical, the Lakers were stuck with the players they already had on the roster. Jaxson Hayes started four playoff games but clearly didn't have coach JJ Redick's trust, as he played single-digit minutes in all four contests before being benched as Redick moved to a small-ball approach for all 48 minutes in the Lakers' final loss of the season.

At the very least, in the wake of the Lakers' disappointing playoff flameout, their top priority this summer seemed clear. And yet, a few days into the free agent frenzy, all of their top potential targets signed elsewhere, and they were stuck with Deandre Ayton, a surprise addition to the market after a buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ayton doesn't profile as an ideal short-term solution for a championship hopeful nor is he a long-term fit next to Doncic. The 2018 No. 1 pick -- two picks ahead of Doncic, incidentally -- is neither a rim runner nor a floor spacer, and his game peaked a half-decade ago. Despite persistently impressive box score stats, the best public advanced stats all rate Ayton as a below-average player.

Meanwhile, Ayton's two-year deal with a player option carries little upside for the team. If he's good in Year 1, he'll opt out, whereas if he doesn't gain Redick's favor, he'll stay on the team's books for a second season.

This is a dangerous game to play when the Lakers are trying to manage James' discontent and coax Doncic into signing a long-term extension later this summer. For now, there's not much about this roster that should compel his signature. The Lakers have an imbalanced rotation with a lot of power forwards -- Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt and, of course, James -- but no trustworthy centers, and their only move of consequence other than signing Ayton is replacing Finney-Smith with Jake LaRavia.

 

It's pretty ridiculous watching the media glaze the fuck out of LA signing Ayton.

 

All that said…..are we a better team with him in our center rotation, or not. I know the answer.

 

If your goal this seasons is to win games, you will miss him. Plain and simple.

 

I meant the Lakers FAMS!

 

We also got rid of Ant, our best scorer. You will have no low post game to go to anymore. I don’t need stats to tell me that Ayton would help us win more games this season. Who is your backup center, because you will be seeing a TON of him.

 

I don’t know what your talking about, I can’t see that post FAMS!

 

TRUST ME, you and @BoBoBREWSKI are the most knowledgeable posters here

 

You sure are spending a ton of time trashing on a team that might win TWICE as many games as us this upcoming season bro.

 

And just to go the record….. I’m not even a DA fan!!!!

 

The fit and how the Lakers make use of what Ayton does and can do could be a benefit to them. Ayton will have to pay attention to what Lebron says. On the Blazers, he did not fit what they have become and where they want to go. It’s good for both teams.

 

I CAN tell you who will lead the NBA in ally-oop finishes! Whether that’s important or not, that dude is going to be left open quite a bit. If only he could shoot a little mid range j too?

 

I’m just going to leave this here. As our starter last year, he was a -6. How much will we really miss him?

 

He's a decent rebounder and can play inside if someone Like Doncic can get's him the ball. I can see those two playing some P&R.

 

The most inefficient shot in basketball? Sure, why not...

 

You seem torn, sometimes you refer to the Blazers as “you” and other times “us”. Pick a side Fams.