The Portland Trail Blazers certainly shocked everyone when ESPN's Shams Charania reported that they were finalizing a buyout with former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton. Players who are as young as Ayton and get paid as much as he does don't typically get bought out.
Ever since it was reported, it's been highly speculated that the Lakers would go after him once he clears waivers. After trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles lacked a sturdy center in the postseason, which factored into their elimination.
Ayton is coming off a season where he averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 56.6% from the field. He also has extensive playoff experience, as he was the Phoenix Suns' starting center during the 2021 NBA Finals run.
As it turns out, the Lakers-Ayton buzz is more than mere speculation. The Athletic's Dan Woike confirmed that Ayton is among the centers Los Angeles is interested in bringing to the team.
"Armed with the $14.1 million mid-level exception, the Lakers are expected to chase Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez and the Atlanta Hawks’ Clint Capela, with the surprise addition of Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton as another target on their list," Woike wrote.
Besides the Lakers' need for a center, there are more connections here than meet the eye. Not only did Ayton and Luka Doncic come from the same draft - Ayton was picked two spots ahead of Doncic in 2018 - but they both share the same agent, Bill Duffy.