Los Angeles Lakers fans were undeniably left wondering what could have been this season if the team did not get cold feet about adding Mark Williams before the 2025 NBA trade deadline. The DeAndre Ayton signing should put a lot of the what-ifs to bed.
Granted, the questions about what a playoff run in 2025 would have looked like with a proper center rotation are not going away. The Minnesota Timberwolves certainly had a fun time exploiting the lack of rim protection and depth of the Lakers.
However, moving forward with the Ayton signing, the Lakers acquired the competent, albeit slightly controversial, center they were looking for. Luka Doncic has a running mate in the frontcourt who can play off him with comfort.
The best part of the situation, undoubtedly, is the fact that there was no need to surrender Dalton Knecht and draft capital to acquire a solution at center. Ayton's contract makes him a short-term fix, as things stand. However, it also positions the Lakers to stay afloat and fully address the situation when the time comes.
Low-cost Ayton upgrade works out better in the long run
For the faults and critiques that surround Ayton, securing him at a flat rate of $8.1 million for the next two seasons, with the latter being a player option, can still be viewed as a win. It also allows the Lakers to either ride out the Knecht experience, and see if the sharpshooter can become a valuable member of the rotation, or package him for a roster upgrade elsewhere.
Then, there's the elephant in the room with this specific discussion. One could easily argue Ayton is just flat out a better player than Williams. Sam Vecenie sound as though he was of that belief. That was on display with a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast.
"I like this drastically more than the Mark Williams alternative," Vecenie noted. "Getting DeAndre Ayton on a buyout ... is so much better. ... They have real flexibility now to be able to go out and make another move. ... DeAndre is not nearly as much of a health concern as Mark Williams is either."
Vecenie highlighted that there was not 'much difference' between Ayton and Williams on the defensive end too. All things considered, the overwhelming opinion was that of the Lakers making out like gangbusters from a value perspective.
That will not be the only concern with this situation. The nuances are clear from the questions that arose about his time in Portland after his buyout. Even so, the bargain of it all is hard to ignore.