It remains to be seen if Deandre Ayton is the long-term answer at starting center for the Los Angeles Lakers. But he's proven to be a serviceable starting option, and given how bad their frontcourt situation was last year after the shocking Luka Doncic trade, that alone is a significant upgrade for the Lakers.
This season, Ayton is averaging 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting an efficient 70% from the field, ranking second in the league behind only Rudy Gobert. He may not be the ideal pick-and-roll partner for Doncic, but Ayton is still finishing at an incredibly high rate. With the Lakers' desperation at the center position and somewhat limited assets on what is a top-heavy roster, they could've done a lot worse than Ayton this summer.
Part of the frustration surrounding the Ayton experience in Portland was that he was not living up to his massive contract. But this offseason development turned out to be an ideal scenario for every party involved. The Blazers reached a buyout agreement with Ayton, which included getting him to forfeit $10 million of his salary for this season. The Lakers were then able to add a starting-caliber center on a team-friendly deal, signing Ayton to a two-year, $16.6 million contract, including a player option for next season.
Deandre Ayton has found new life with the Lakers
It turned out to be a win for Ayton, too. As a former No. 1 overall pick, Ayton has always had lofty expectations surrounding his career. After a rocky finish in Phoenix and failing to reach those expectations in Portland, he needed a change of scenery almost as desperately as Los Angeles needed a new center.
At Lakers media day, Ayton referred to this upcoming season as the "biggest opportunity of [his] career," adding that he wasn't going to take it for granted. He's also previously taken a subtle jab at Portland, saying he wanted to be in a winning situation. The Lakers currently sit fifth in the Western Conference with a 17-7 record, while the Blazers have struggled with seemingly never-ending injuries and sit 12th at 9-16.
Time will tell whether this Lakers-Ayton partnership is sustainable given his history, but for now, it's turning out to be everything he wanted. The former Blazer finally finds himself in a winning situation, and he's become a key reason the Lakers are there.