The Los Angeles Lakers made the decision to sign Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal last offseason. They made that move to upgrade at the center spot after he was bought out by the Trail Blazers. However, he had a poor year with the team.
Ayton had career lows in points, rebounds, and assists this past year. It seems that Los Angeles is looking for a way to further improve that spot on their roster. However, they have less money to do that after signing Austin Reaves to a max contract.
Ayton has now made a decision about his future with the Lakers.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton chases a loose ball in a game. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
Deandre Ayton Opts Into Contract With the Lakers
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Ayton has opted into his contract for next season. He had an $8.1 million player option, and he has accepted it. That is not surprising, considering he had no trade market at all last season. Opting in is the best way to make sure he makes more than the minimum.
This is something that the Lakers were expecting him to do. Now that he is officially on the books, they could try to include his salary in a trade for another center. Los Angeles will likely have to offer some draft compensation for another team to take on Ayton.
Los Angeles still has a few other free agents that they need to make decisions on now that Reaves has been signed. LeBron James is the most critical of them, but it seems like he might be moving on. They still haven’t sent him an official contract offer, which is surprising.
Ayton will now have an expiring contract this season, which is valuable for a team looking to get rid of a lot of money. That is the only hope that the Lakers have for including him in a trade. However, Los Angeles still has less money to pay free agents, with Ayton taking some cash.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton dunks the ball in a game. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Lakers Will Canvass the League for Ayton Trades
With Ayton officially on the books for next year, they will start canvassing the league for trades. The center spot was the most glaring weakness in the starting lineup for the Lakers this past season. This is despite the enormous amount of talent that Ayton has.
It will be a little easier to find a trade partner for Ayton now that he has an expiring contract. He could also be more motivated to play well if they can’t find a partner for him, since he is playing for a new contract. He could potentially be playing for his NBA career at that point, too.
Convincing another team to take a player who has had effort issues his entire NBA career is not going to be easy. Yet, that is what Rob Pelinka has to do. It wouldn’t be shocking if he plays next season for the Lakers.
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