Imagine a former No. 1 overall pick still in his prime at 27 years old. He's a center who's averaged a double-double every single season since entering the league in 2018. In addition to that consistency, he was also a key player in an NBA Finals run not too long ago.
Now, what if I told you that he's available for just $8.1 million next season -- in today's market, you'd consider that a home run signing, right?
That's precisely what the Los Angeles Lakers just got by stealing Deandre Ayton this summer.
Blazers gifted Deandre Ayton to the Lakers
The Lakers pulled off the most shocking trade in NBA history last season, acquiring a top-five player in the world in Luka Doncic. However, one downside was that Anthony Davis' midseason departure left their frontcourt vulnerable, which they failed to address at the deadline after the whole Mark Williams fiasco.
Last season's playoffs proved that Los Angeles desperately needed a center. Doncic is at his best with a lob threat at his disposal, and Jaxson Hayes was clearly not the solution to fill that void. In typical Lakers fashion, Rob Pelinka's underwhelming roster moves were overshadowed by another gift that fell into their lap -- this time thanks to Portland.
It was clear Los Angeles had to make some move this summer as they couldn't waste another year of Doncic's prime and what could very well be LeBron James' last season. But their options continued to dwindle as potential targets landed elsewhere. Even worse, their top targets strengthened Western Conference rivals as Clint Capela went to the Houston Rockets and Brook Lopez landed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
But there's something about that Purple and Gold that always finds a way to get bailed out.
After investing consecutive first-round picks in the center position with the selections of Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, Portland decided to buy out Ayton, giving Los Angeles the easiest opportunity ever to make a home run signing.
This is not to say that the Blazers will regret moving on from Ayton. They managed to get off $10 million of his $35.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season while clearing significant minutes for Clingan and Hansen. However, the Blazers and Lakers are at very different stages of their roster construction and standing in the Western Conference landscape. Portland had a surplus of bigs and needed to prioritize the development and evaluation of its youth, while Los Angeles had a top-heavy team in dire need of a starting center.
This is a win-win scenario for both teams. But given the circumstances, this is absolutely a home run signing for Los Angeles. Anyone who tells you otherwise is likely mad the Lakers keep getting away with moves like this.