Signing! 16.6 million in 2 years! No. 1 center Ayton joins the Lakers and joins East Zhan to compete for the championship

When I woke up, the Los Angeles Lakers finally had a decent center joining! General Manager Pelinka finally did not break his promise, and he successfully brought back a talented No. 1 pick for Doncic James. At this point, the problem of serious shortage of inside centers has been solved!

According to ESPN's famous reporter Shams, league sources revealed that full free agent and 2018 No. 1 pick center DeAndre Aiton agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. According to follow-up reports by famous reporter Jake Fischer, DeAndre Aiton and the Los Angeles Lakers signed a two-year franchise contract worth $16.6 million, with a starting salary of $8.1 million and a player option for the next year.

With the Lakers and Ayton successfully signing a 2-year 16.6 million franchise contract, this completely declares that they stand out in this Ayton battle and become the final winner, and Ayton will also open a new chapter in his career in Los Angeles next season! Little did they know that Ayton's joining is like a timely rain for the entire Lakers, because they really need to introduce a qualified inside center this summer.

Therefore, being able to successfully sign No. 1 center Ayton is as precious as a long drought and rain. This can also be regarded as a relief for Lakers General Manager Pelinka, who was frustrated in the free market this summer, finds some comfort. Next season, DeAndre Ayton will join forces with Doncic and James to strive for the NBA championship with all his strength!

The Lakers can stand out and successfully bring Ayton back to Los Angeles in the face of multiple competitors! In this way, the Lakers have both the No. 1 picks in the 2018 draft (Aiton) and Tanhua (Doncic), and the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, LeBron James, and they have formed a talented super combination of two No. 1 picks + Tanhua.

Although the Wild West Championship Contest has undergone earth-shaking changes this summer, the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks have all made a fortune in the free market and have successively formed super championship lineups, the Lakers' double No. 1 pick + Tanhua combination formed by Luca Doncic + LeBron James + DeAndre Ayton, the strength of the championship competition combination cannot be underestimated! In the 2024-25 season, DeAndre Ayton played in a total of 40 regular season games on behalf of his former club Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 30.1 minutes per game, scoring 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 1 block, with a shooting percentage of 56.6% and a free throw percentage of 66.7%.

Obviously, DeAndre Ayton is an inside double-double machine with outstanding strength. His joining will greatly improve the Lakers' inside strength! Although the sudden ruthless buyout of the contract by the Trail Blazers caused a considerable blow and injury to Ayton, who was in his year of playing, has now successfully joined the league's giants Lakers and Dong Zhan, which may bring Ayton's career to a huge turnaround! I look forward to Ayton shining in the Lakers next season and fully realizing his talent for the No. 1 pick.

Little do they know that Lakers general manager Pelinka is not satisfied with successfully signing No. 1 center Ayton in the buyout market. He is still vigorously pursuing 39-year-old champion center Bill Horford. According to a shooting shot by US media Legion Hoops, he was told that the Los Angeles Lakers have used a biennial exception to provide Al Horford with a contract offer worth $5 million. It can be seen that the Lakers are determined to significantly upgrade their inside strength this summer! So, will Al Horford be the second big man in the inside that the Lakers have introduced this summer? Let's wait and see!