The NBA offseason is when teams regroup and strengthen their organizations for the upcoming season or the long-term future, depending on their situations. For the Los Angeles Lakers, who were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs despite finishing third in the West, it was about finding that one key piece to help them make a solid run at the title.
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The Lakers may have found that missing link with DeAndre Ayton. The Lakers lacked a reliable center during their recent postseason run, and Ayton is a proven starting big man who played a major role in the Phoenix Suns’ run to the 2021 Finals.
Ayton met with the media for his first press conference as a member of the Los Angeles team on Tuesday. One topic that came up was the opportunity he now has to play alongside two of the league’s biggest stars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
It was a bit of a tricky question, but the 26-year-old center gave a very composed and dignified answer. “I mean, they both average about 9 assists over their career span,” said Ayton, referring to how both The Don and The King are team-oriented and not all about scoring.
“The type of players they create with their teammates. They turn them into superstars. They make them bigger than their roles and make them very important on the floor as well,” he added.
The opportunity to be a star means a lot to the former Portland Trail Blazers center. Ayton admitted later that he felt forgotten in Rip City, but is now relishing the opportunity to ball with the league’s biggest names. He believes it will elevate him to another level.
“Just seeing that and finally getting a chance to go in and experience that would be big for me,” Ayton continued. “It would get me back to my full form of how I used to play. Just coming up and being a part of the Finals. It’s those playmakers I’m used to having around me that are leading to wins.”
Ayton is, of course, referring to his winning days with the Suns. He knows that in a league as competitive as the NBA, winning is all that matters.
“It just brings me back to playing with the Suns and being a part of a winning organization. Once you win, everything is easy. That’s what I wanted to be a part of again. The last two years were just a different route for me,” he added.
Ayton was at his best during his Phoenix days. In the 2021 postseason, he averaged a double-double with 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds, playing a crucial role in the Suns getting past the Lakers, Nuggets, and Clippers before narrowly losing a hard-fought series to the Bucks.
Much like his current situation in L.A., Ayton had an all-time great in Chris Paul helping him reach his potential in Phoenix. Paul, like Luka and LeBron, was an assist machine.
So the fact that Ayton pointed out how good his new teammates are as passers speaks volumes about how ready he is to make an immediate impact. “I’m just glad Laker Nation welcomed me with open arms,” Ayton told the press.
And it feels like he truly means it. It’s not just the allure of playing with LeBron and Luka. The 26-year-old is joining one of the most iconic sports organizations in the world.
That kind of spotlight will bring a new wave of critics, but it also promises a level of fame Ayton may never have imagined. The 2025–2026 season can’t get here soon enough.
