Deandre Ayton Joins Lakers: A Major NBA Free Agency Move

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00:00a big move yesterday an NBA free agency for a big man in Los Angeles DRS it was very apparent

00:07in the half season that Luka Doncic had in LA alongside LeBron James those two guys the names

00:13LeBron and Luka should be good enough to make you a contender in the Western Conference but with a

00:20lack of front court skill the Lakers basically saying we're not even going to play a center in

00:26the opening round against the Timberwolves they needed to fill out a roster around LeBron and

00:32Luka that could compete for an NBA championship well they make that first big move welcome DeAndre Ayton

00:40to downtown Los Angeles now is Ayton the guy that pushes the Lakers over the top it makes them a

00:47front runner in the Western Conference perhaps not is he an upgrade does he improve the roster overall

00:54as when LeBron James opted back into the final year of his deal over the weekend that was one

01:00of the pressure points that Rich Paul put on the LA front office I would say so DeAndre Ayton signs a

01:06two-year deal to now play for the Lakers and I think it's a pretty good move understand this though

01:12like the Lakers needed a center in the worst way they were so deficient at that position they got

01:17one here now also if you take a look throughout his career is he Shaquille O'Neal coming to the

01:21Lakers from the Orlando Magic no he's not but he's a double double machine every single season of his

01:27career he's averaged a double double but here's the issue look at the last two years in Portland

01:3240 games played 55 games played this isn't a guy that's out there 70 plus games every single season

01:38his maximum was what in 2021 69 games and 67 games with the Suns and very underwhelming for the trailblazers

01:46and also understand this great players don't usually just change cities where the city goes it doesn't

01:51work here and that's what the Suns basically told that number one overall pick and also remember

01:54all the fights they had with how much he's going to get paid if they even wanted to give the guy

01:57extension in Phoenix so he winds up in Portland but even though like Portland 40 games played 14 points

02:03per game 10 rebounds the year previous 17 points per game 11 rebounds if you tell me right now the

02:09Lakers are going to get a center that's going to show up every single night and get 14 and 10 for them

02:14that's exactly what they wanted and also we're not talking 14 and 10 because they had to pay

02:19five years 240 million dollars to get this number one overall pick previously they're getting him

02:24cheaply on a year-to-year basis this is a win for the Lakers a deficiency position a quality basketball

02:31player at a cheap price that sounds like a good deal to me