Lakers Land Deandre Ayton on Two-Year Deal After Blazers Buyout

Free-agent center Deandre Ayton has agreed to a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers on Wednesday, according to multiple reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania and others. The deal includes a player option for 2026 and will pay the 26-year-old roughly $8 million in its first season; combined with the $25 million he retains from his Portland Trail Blazers buyout, Ayton will earn about $34 million next year. Agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports negotiated the agreement with Lakers president Rob Pelinka.

Ayton became an unexpected free agent when he surrendered about $10 million to exit the final season of his four-year, $133 million contract in Portland. After he cleared waivers, league executives widely expected him to choose between the Lakers and the Indiana Pacers, but Los Angeles’ pairing of Luka Dončić and LeBron James—both still searching for a starting center after the club traded Anthony Davis to Dallas last year—proved decisive.

The 2018 No. 1 overall pick averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 40 appearances for the Trail Blazers last season and has logged career marks of 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds. Ayton is one of only four players, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Nikola Vučević, to post at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of the past seven seasons. He is expected to slide directly into the Lakers’ starting lineup, giving first-year coach J.J. Redick a rim-running partner for Dončić and additional front-court depth as Los Angeles attempts to return to title contention.