Seven years ago, Deandre Ayton was selected two spots ahead of Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft. Now, as of this Tuesday, the former No. 1 pick can’t hide his excitement as he just signed for the Lakers and will be the Slovenian’s newest teammate in California. 

The ex-Trail Blazer attended his introductory press conference yesterday in Los Angeles, and described the feeling of being Luka’s next center on the court. “This feels like a video game, like somebody set it up,” he shared. “This is an opportunity that I won’t take for granted.”

According to Ayton, the European star is more than just special. “Luka is a once-in-a-generation player, and I’m happy to be his teammate. Hearing about the kind of shape he’s been in, he’s super ripped, and I’m finally glad to be on his side,” the big man assured.

Rob Pelinka, who continues his duty as the Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager, mentioned the importance of trading for a center position for the summer. Deandre is a 26-year-old, seven-foot, 250 pound athlete with career averages of 16.4 points on 59.0% shooting, 10.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.

“I feel like the Lakers were the best position [for me],” he said after signing a two-year, $16.6 million deal with a player option for the second year. “They want to win a championship right now, and I want to win right now as well and just be part of a winning legacy and be around winners.”

The player, who was bought out of his contract with the Portland organization, hasn’t been himself the last couple of seasons. “The last two years was just a different route for me and I just learned a lot that when you don’t win in this league, you can be forgotten,” he assured.

About having Luka and LeBron James as teammates, Ayton is convinced they have a championship-calibre roster. “They both average about nine assists over their career span,” he shared. “They turn [their teammates] into superstars, they make them bigger than their roles, they make them very important on the floor.”

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