The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the most shocking sports trades of all time by dealing Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic in February, but it left them with a huge hole. The team no longer had a viable starting center, as it nixed its Mark Williams trade with the Charlotte Hornets after he failed his physical the same month.
Enter Deandre Ayton. The seven-foot, 252-pounder is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.4 points on 56.6 percent shooting with 10.2 rebounds in 30.2 minutes for the Portland Trail Blazers. He also agreed to a surprise buyout with the team on Sunday, the eve of free agency.
That means that Ayton will skip the final year of his contract and hit the open market as the Lakers search for a center. A connection between Ayton and Doncic surfaced shortly after the buyout news.
Former Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and former Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22).
Former Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and former Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22).
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Both players are represented by Bill Duffy of WME Sports, which could give the Lakers an advantage in the Ayton sweepstakes.
Countless Los Angeles fans on social media are pointing out this fact as well.
The Lakers suffered in the playoffs because of their center issue. Jaxson Hayes, who started at the position after the Doncic trade, averaged just 1.8 points on 37.5 percent shooting with two rebounds across 7.5 minutes in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The seven-footer's struggles forced head coach JJ Redick to play the 6-foot-7-inch Dorian Finney-Smith at center, and they lost in five games.
Free agency starts at 6 p.m. EST on Monday.