Deandre Ayton to the Los Angeles Lakers, sign and trade. It’s a historic first for his professional career as he prepares for his seventh season in the world’s best basketball league. The former first overall pick in the 2018 draft will earn $34 million for the upcoming season as he transitions from the Portland Trail Blazers to join forces with fellow star Luka Doncic.
Ayton, who started his pro career in 2018, has become a known name due to his incredible reliability while playing at games. He’s the first player since Dwight Howard to pull off an extraordinary. He’s averaged a double-double for all of the first seven seasons of his career, at least 10 points and 10 rebounds. Currently, he joins an elite group of four players—alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, and Nikola Vucevic—who have maintained this impressive statistical benchmark over the past seven years.
In the last campaign, Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds on an efficient 56.6% clip. His last season with Portland was particularly difficult as he struggled through injuries. He played just 40 games last season and has been able to appear in just 95 of the possible 164 games the past two seasons. Ayton had his struggles, but he flourished during his five seasons with the Phoenix Suns. He put up gaudy numbers, averaging 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds on 59.7% shooting.
Ayton very much looks the part of the new starting center of the Lakers. He pairs with Doncic as one of the most dynamic ball-handling duos in the league, and he and Doncic have developed a close rapport since sharing a draft class with him in 2018. Ayton and Doncic are joining forces to supercharge the Lakers’ offense and defense. Together, their partnership will lay the foundation for and create a strong and productive season in the future.
Turning 27 on July 23, Ayton has already proven himself to be a dominant force in the league. His eventual choice as a member of the 2018-19 All-Rookie Team is a testament to his ability and the potential he has going forward. As he starts this new chapter with the Lakers, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how he adapts to his new environment and contributes to a team with championship aspirations.
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