11 months ago
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Free cause halfway Deandre Ayton has agreed to motion with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN connected Wednesday night.
Between Portland and L.A., Ayton volition gain $34 cardinal adjacent season. Ayton's agents, Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports, reached the woody with Lakers president Rob Pelinka connected Wednesday, according to sources.
Ayton finalized a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers connected Sunday night, with his representatives approaching the franchise astir his tendency to play successful a winning concern and knowing the team's rising fig of young centers. Multiple teams reached retired to Blazers wide manager Joe Cronin to behaviour inheritance connected Ayton and received beardown reviews surrounding Ayton's enactment and mentoring of large men specified arsenic Donovan Clingan.
In Los Angeles, Ayton volition descent into the starting halfway slot, supply an anchor and spouse with chap 2018 apical prime Luka Doncic with the Lakers. Ayton and Doncic went Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, successful the 2018 draft, processing a narration from that class.
Ayton cleared escaped bureau waivers connected Wednesday evening and took immoderate clip to conscionable with funny teams earlier deciding connected the Lakers.
Ayton, who volition crook 27 connected July 23, averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds portion shooting 56.6% past season.
He is the archetypal subordinate to mean astatine slightest 10 points and 10 rebounds successful each of his archetypal 7 NBA seasons since Dwight Howard, whose vocation began successful 2004-05. Ayton besides is 1 of 4 players to mean astatine slightest 10 points and 10 rebounds successful each of the past 7 seasons, on with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Nikola Vucevic.
Ayton was named to the 2018-19 All-Rookie Team, and helium averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds portion shooting 59.7% successful his 5 seasons with Phoenix.
Ayton played lone 40 games for Portland this past season, the 2nd fewest of his career, and helium has appeared successful lone 95 retired of a imaginable 164 games implicit the past 2 campaigns.
