With the start of the NBA’s official free agent negotiation period just hours away, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ quest for a starting-caliber center has gotten a little more interesting.
On Sunday, Deandre Ayton reportedly agreed to a buyout of his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was due to make $35.55 million next season, and he averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game while shooting 56.6% from the field this season despite playing on a poor team.
Once he clears waivers, he will be free to sign with any NBA team he wants. Many are speculating that he could be headed to the Lakers.
Sudden addition to the free-agent market. This gives Ayton, a former No. 1 overall pick who went to the NBA Finals with the Suns, the chance to receive a fresh opportunity as the Trail Blazers build around their depth of young centers. https://t.co/JlaQzrnI0N
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
With forward Dorian Finney-Smith turning down his player option for next season, the Lakers are set to have the full midlevel exception available to them, and they could use it on Ayton, should Ayton want to join them. The fact that he has the same agent (Bill Duffy) as Luka Doncic has only added to the speculation that he is L.A.-bound.
While he is undeniable talented and athletic, not to mention the type of lob threat Doncic loves to play with, he has been accused of slacking off on the defensive end, especially when it comes to rim protection. At the same time, he’s an excellent rebounder and played well when he helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021.
At this point, one shouldn’t assume Ayton is definitely coming to the Lakers. But there does seem to be a distinct possibility that he will decide to come on board.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Deandre Ayton agrees to buyout — could he be a target for the Lakers?