For some time now, the Los Angeles Lakers have been looking for a viable long-term player at their center position. Fast forward to their free agency move, and they signed the former first overall pick Deandre Ayton on a two-year, $16.6 million deal. Although Ayton does bring some elite numbers to the table, the baggage, as was visible with his stints in Portland and Phoenix, might be a bit too much. Of course, the question has never been the skillset but the fit with the 26-year-old unapologetically showing what he is feeling. 

As The Athletic’s Jason Quick put it following the buyout, “They couldn’t live with his bad ways. The tardiness to team flights and practices. … The skipping of rehabilitation appointments. Fans saw him slam chairs when he was taken out of games. … There were tantrums in the locker room when he was sidelined for poor effort.”

The analysis too, got divided. ESPN’s Tim McMahon suggested how “This is going to be a disaster,” while The Athletic’s Dan Woike debated “Culture can’t play above the rim… Deandre Ayton can do all of that stuff.” In all the chaos, one thing is clear– the Golden State Warriors fans can breathe a sigh of relief as they avoid a potential Draymond Green faceoff in their locker room. And that’s what Chuck and Kylen Mills from the ‘Locked on Warriors’ recently touched base on.

Kylen gave her take on Ayton, “If you’re gonna take a risk, it’s going to be on a player who has all of the things you need in the skillset. But like you said, maybe there are certainly very relevant and locker room and all those types of concerns. But I think a Draymond Green staying on top of Deandre, or some of the other vets in the locker room, maybe that actually makes him better. Maybe a change of scenery can do a lot of players good.

“So that’s where I’m like ‘Okay, you’re not gonna get a perfect big out there in the market based on where it is right now. This is a player who has upsides in terms of what he can do on the floor, what he can add to your team. Like I said, I like the age, all those kinds of things, but the culture concerns to me are the same as we saw with Jimmy Butler. And the Warriors did Jimmy Butler a lot of good… But he hasn’t been a locker room issue. He hasn’t been a culture fit issue.”

Charlie Walter added, “Had DeAndre Ayton joined the Warriors, we would have had a press conference like three weeks into training camp, and Steve Kerr would have said ‘Something very bad happened at practice’. And ‘95.7 The Game’ would have went crazy for a month, and then TMZ would have leaked a video that Draymond hammered him in the face because Deandre Ayton is just uh… no! I’m glad the Warriors did not touch him. And if you’re not, wait about two months for the Lakers and then say, ‘Chuck, you were right after all.'”

It is common knowledge amongst NBA fans that Draymond Green’s competitive nature has often caused him to get physical against rival players. From putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold to even punching his now-good friend LeBron James during the 2016 NBA Finals, the examples are in abundance. Not even his teammates have been spared from getting the hair dryer treatment. Case in point: Jordan Poole. Back in October 2022, reports emerged that Green had punched Poole during an altercation in a practice session, which was cited as the main reason for Poole leaving the Bay Area for Washington.

Considering these facts, it’s definitely for the best that Ayton did not join the Warriors. Disaster averted! Especially considering the comments Draymond Green has made about Ayton in the past.

Back in 2023, DeAndre Ayton quickly established himself as one of the more polarizing figures in the Arizona sports scene. Amongst his critics was Green, who said “CP is great with the young guys. Deandre Ayton looked like a bust before CP came to Phoenix – no disrespect to Ayton, but more so a nod to CP”. When Joel Embiid once shut down a comparison between him and Ayton, he wrote on X “Don’t compare Ayton to me either… I play DEFENSE”. Green approved of this tweet by writing “👑👑👑👑👑👑 you got the crown man 😂😂😂😂😂”.

Even if the Golden State Warriors did not get DeAndre Ayton, they still need a center that can efficiently protect the rim. But with the Lakers bringing in Ayton, it has opened another door for the Warriors to get a center.

Can the Golden State Warriors acquire Walker Kessler?

If there was one other center the Warriors and the Lakers were interested in, it was Walker Kessler. However, the Lakers fell out of contention quickly after it was revealed by The Athletic’s Jovan Buha that sources have told him that the Utah Jazz are looking for two first-round picks and a young player for Kessler.

The Lakers have only one tradable first-round pick over the next seven years, and that selection can only come in 2031 or 2032, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. NBA reporter Julia Stumbaugh highlighted that the Lakers might not be able to meet the Utah Jazz’s asking price for Walker Kessler, because of this restriction. And by signing Ayton, they conceded the floor to the Warriors to have a free run at Kessler.

Walker Kessler was a first-team All-Rookie selection just two seasons ago. He has been averaging at least 2.3 blocks per game since his rookie year. In a struggling Jazz squad, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds, thereby showing his prowess on both ends. Back in 2022, the 7-foot star showcased his abilities against Draymond Green, as well, by blocking a lay-up attempt by the power forward. KSL Sports reported Green looking “down the floor as if impressed the rookie swatted the shot”. This can only mean good things for the Warriors if they manage to get him.

There is a possibility that the Warriors include Jonathan Kuminga to sweeten the deal, but it remains to be seen if the Jazz are willing to give any discounts to the Dubs. Till then, their only hope is that no one else comes and swoops him up.