Free agent center Deandre Ayton agreed to sign a two-year, $16.6 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported late Wednesday night.

Deandre Ayton Will Earn $8.1 Million With Lakers In 2025-26

The Lakers will pay Ayton $8.1 million — the remainder of the midlevel exception after factoring in free agent Jake LaRavia’s salary — in 2025-26. His contract also includes a player option for the second season.

Ayton’s agents, Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports, negotiated the deal with Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka.

Per Spotrac, between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Lakers, Ayton will earn $34 million next season. The seven-year veteran finalized a buyout with Portland on Sunday night.

According to Charania, Ayton’s representatives reportedly approached the Trail Blazers about “his desire to play in a winning situation and understanding the team’s rising number of young centers.”

Bucks, Pacers Were Among Teams Interested In Ayton

Ayton, who turns 27 on July 23, cleared free agency waivers Wednesday evening and weighed his options after speaking with interested teams before deciding on the Lakers.

The Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets were all pursuing Ayton, per Charania.

Per The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the Lakers showed serious interest in veteran center Brook Lopez, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Clippers on Monday.

The Bucks were also interested in Ayton before they shocked the NBA by acquiring Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers.

Ayton Has Missed 69 Games Over The Past Two Seasons

Furthermore, Ayton spent the past two seasons with the Trail Blazers after being dealt by the Phoenix Suns in the deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks.

According to Basketball Reference, Ayton has appeared in just 95 out of a possible 164 games over the past two seasons. The 7-footer only played in 40 games (all starts) for Portland in 2024-25, the second fewest of his career.

He averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 30.2 minutes per contest while shooting 56.6% from the field and a career-low 66.7% from the free throw line.

In Portland’s 115-106 home win over the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 29, he recorded a season-high 26 points on 11-of-19 (57.9%) shooting from the floor and 4-for-6 (66.7%) from the foul line.

Lakers Must Build Around Luka Doncic, LeBron James

Upgrading the frontcourt is one way to convince LeBron James to stay put. After James opted into his $52.6 million player option, his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN that:

“LeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships. We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.

“He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Pelinka and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”

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