Deandre Ayton's Rumored Lakers Contract Has Fans Debating Roster Around LeBron, Luka
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly signed free-agent center Deandre Ayton on Wednesday to a two-year, $16.6 million deal, per ESPN's Shams Charania and NBA reporter Jake Fischer, addressing one of the team's biggest needs.
Whether Ayton addressed that need in a way that was a good fit for the rest of the roster is debatable, however, as Luka Dončić needs a consistent lob threat in the pick-and-roll and LeBron James thrives with floor spacing, which Ayton won't provide.
As such, folks on social media were torn on the addition:
Ayton has been a walking double-double in his career, averaging 16.4 points and 10.5 per contest. But he's a non-factor from beyond the arc (23 percent for his career) and isn't an elite rim-protector.
He has the athleticism and tools to make a bigger impact for a winning team, and he was a part of a Phoenix Suns group that reached the NBA Finals earlier in his career. But there's been the sense with Ayton to this point that he's never quite gotten the most out of his upside or put it all together.
He hasn't been bad, by any stretch, but he hasn't lived up to the hype that accompanies being a top overall pick either. To borrow from The Wire parlance, he's been more of a 40-degree day.
The Lakers needed a center, and they'll be hoping they can get the most out of Ayton. If they do, it will be a fantastic signing. If they don't, the position will remain a major need going forward.
