Deandre Ayton heads to Hollywood, hoping to rise where the Lakers need him most—right in the middle.
Ayton has agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after finalizing a contract buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers, according to NBA senior insider Shams Charania.
BREAKING: Deandre Ayton has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Between Portland and L.A., Ayton will earn $34 million next season. Agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports reached the deal with Lakers president Rob Pelinka.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2025
The contract reportedly nets him $8.1 million from the Lakers this season, on top of the $25.6 million Portland still owes him, bringing his total earnings to roughly $34 million for the 2025–26 campaign.
Ayton now joins a Lakers team in desperate need of size and rim protection, after trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a league-altering deal that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles in February.
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He is expected to slide into the starting center role alongside Doncic, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves. The move also reunites Ayton and Doncic, who were selected first and third, respectively, in the 2018 NBA Draft.
A former Suns standout and a key piece of Phoenix’s 2021 NBA Finals run, Ayton brings size and efficiency to Los Angeles, owning career averages of 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 59% from the field across seven seasons.
Though never selected for an All-Star team, Ayton is the only player since Dwight Howard to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of his first seven NBA seasons.
His arrival also marks a homecoming of sorts as the Bahamas native played high school basketball in San Diego before starring at the University of Arizona. Nearly a decade later, he returns to Southern California with a fresh start—and plenty to prove.
