Deandre Ayton signs two-year deal with Los Angeles Lakers

American basketball center Deandre Ayton, 213 centimeters tall, will sign a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN has learned. The contract includes a player option, and the Bahamian will earn 34 million dollars (about 28.8 million euros) for the next season.

Ayton, who turns 27 this month, spent the first five seasons of his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago as part of the big three-way trade that saw Damian Lillard go to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Last season, Ayton only played 40 games for the Trail Blazers due to a calf injury and was sidelined for the rest of the season due to a sprain. Now in Los Angeles, he will take the starting center position, and last season he averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

On Sunday, he officially ended his cooperation with Portland and is ready for new challenges with the Lakers.

Fans are skeptical about how his new adventure will look like, but aware of the quality of this basketball player, it is clear that there is more optimism among the public.

Impressive statistics

Although he was never an All-Star player, Ayton is the only center in the last seven seasons to average a double-double in points and rebounds, which was last done by former Lakers center Dwight Howard more than ten years ago.

According to information shared by David Aldridge and Dan Woike of The Athletic, Luka Doncic is thrilled to have the opportunity to play alongside Deandre Ayton. The Slovenian basketball team is aware that Ayton is a top quality basketball player and someone who could help the team move in the right direction.

Both are 26 years old, represented by longtime agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, and both were drafted in 2018; Ayton as the first choice, while Dončić was selected as the third.

There is no doubt that there could be great chemistry and togetherness between them. Lakers fans publicly share their excitement about the arrival of such a player, believing that the Lakers are headed for a brighter future.