Deandre Ayton was introduced as the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, and he gave his reason for signing with the franchise.
The 26-year-old center claimed he picked the Lakers because he wanted to be in a situation to compete for a championship. He also cited that as the reason he agreed to a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.
With Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the L.A. has an excellent big three to build off of. But as they showed in the playoffs this year, depth is an issue. With Dorian Finney-Smith departing in free agency, the roster got even thinner. Given the strength of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and now the Houston Rockets, the Lakers aren't currently considered a top contender in the Western Conference.
Maybe that changes with Ayton in the fold. Jake LaRavia looks like a solid bench signing, and L.A. may have gotten a steal by landing Adou Thiero in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft. But there is still plenty of room for improvement.
In 40 games during the 2024-25 campaign, Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game. If he is going to lead the Lakers' frontcourt, he'll need to improve those numbers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Deandre Ayton Explains Why He Wanted to Leave Trail Blazers for Lakers.
