Deandre Ayton’s bags are packed, his No. 5 jersey is stitched, and Rob Pelinka just handed him the keys to the purple-and-gold paint. The Lakers made it official—Ayton is coming to L.A. on a two-year, $16.6 million deal, with a player option in Year 2 and sky-high expectations from Day 1. If you thought being a Lakers big man was easy, try following in the footprints of giants like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and Pau Gasol without getting swallowed by the hardwood. But let’s not act like Ayton just stumbled into Crypto.com Arena after Google Maps glitched. This was planned.

According to Marc Stein, both Ayton and Luka Doncic were “motivated” to join forces in Los Angeles, and why wouldn’t they be? They share an agent (Bill Duffy) and a draft class (2018). This is less ‘new teammates’ and more ‘basketball bromance reunion tour.’ But did you know that they could have become teammates in 2023? The Mavericks were having serious talks with Phoenix to acquire Ayton that year, but things ultimately did not work out.

But now that both are on the same team, fans will be excited to see how they play together. In fact, GM Rob Pelinka feels positive about their new acquisition. He told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin: “Acquiring a starting-caliber center was the top priority for us this offseason, and we believe Deandre is an amazing solution to that objective and is an ideal player to add to our current core.

“Deandre’s size, mobility and athleticism will allow both paint scoring and paint protection. Deandre’s playoff experience as a starter on an NBA Finals team also aligns well with our ultimate Lakers championship aspirations.” Translation? We didn’t just sign you to vibe with Luka—we signed you to bring banners.

Ayton’s deal used a big chunk of the Lakers’ non-taxpayer mid-level exception—he’ll make $8.1 million in 2025-26 and has a player option for $8.5 million in 2026-27. The rest of the MLE went to Jake LaRavia, who snagged $6 million. Financially speaking, that’s about as clean of a frontcourt upgrade as you’ll find in an offseason where the Lakers are dancing on the edge of the first tax apron.

Ayton is still owed over $25 million this season total, because Portland’s buyout still comes with Blazer-blue cash. So yes, he’s getting paid like an All-Star while trying to prove he can still become one. Last season in Portland, Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 40 games—all starts—on 56.6% shooting. The man’s mid-range game may drift more than a Russell Westbrook corner three, but his efficiency and rebounding have remained elite. He’s one of just four players—alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, and Nikola Vučević—to average a double-double in each of the last seven seasons. That’s not just consistency. That’s metronomic production.

Deandre Ayton by the numbers!

Let’s talk playoffs because that’s where the Lakers expect Ayton to earn his stripes. The 7-footer has played in 45 playoff games (all starts) in his three trips to the playoffs and was instrumental during Phoenix’s 2021 Finals run, where he became the only player in NBA history to average 15+ points on 60%+ shooting through an entire postseason.

This isn’t just about individual numbers, though. The Lakers got cooked by size last postseason. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid all took advantage of this flaw. Jaxson Hayes tried to counter. Christian Wood tried… But L.A. was clearly screaming for a legitimate, paint-patrolling 5. Enter Deandre Ayton. Now, the rotation around Ayton looks promising. The starting five? Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Ayton. Not bad for a guy who, until two weeks ago, was getting out-rebounded by Jabari Walker. Jaxson Hayes returns on a $3.45 million non-Bird deal, Maxi Kleber came over in the Doncic trade, and Shake Milton’s $3 million contract becomes fully guaranteed on July 20.

There’s a small complication—the Lakers don’t have access to the full BAE (Bi-Annual Exception) because of their proximity to the first apron. That limits their wiggle room to grab more wing defenders unless they trade or clear Milton’s money before the deadline. That means Pelinka has to be as crafty with contracts. So now, we wait to see which version of Deandre Ayton shows up: the one who battled Giannis in the 2021 Finals or the one who occasionally forgot he’s 7-feet-tall and with a large build.

Either way, the vibes are different. Doncic reportedly pushed for Ayton. The two want to play together. And Ayton, now just 26, gets a clean slate—backed by a legendary franchise, surrounded by star talent, and bolstered by one very public message from his new boss. It’s a new era for the Lakers. One where Deandre Ayton isn’t just a big man in L.A.—he’s the big man in L.A.