The Lakeshow Review

It took them a moment, but the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer of free agency got off the ground on Wednesday after the addition of center Deandre Ayton. Ayton, who was bought out last Sunday by the Portland Trailblazers, went through the waivers process which he cleared on Wednesday. Shortly after, he inked a 2 year/$16M contract (player option on year 2) with the Lakers to be their starting center. The decision came after a few days of speculation regarding where Ayton would land. The Warriors, Pacers, Bucks and Lakers were all reported to be in the mix. With Golden States having its sights set on veteran Al Horford, and with the Bucks having signed former Pacer pivot Myles Turner, the competition for Ayton came down to Los Angeles and Indiana. It was suggested that Ayton might have gone for a situation such as what Indiana was offering, one where he could command the offensive spotlight (following Turner’s departure and Tyrese Haliburton’s achilles injury) and maximize his post touches. An empty canvas to feast upon. However, the Purple and Gold allure was too much for the former Blazers big man to pass up on, who will now get to play opposite in the pick and roll from Luka Dončić and LeBron James. It should also be noted that Ayton’s agent, Billy Duffy, also represents Luka Dončić (as well as Jaxson Hayes: more on him later), which almost certainly played at least a minor role in the signing. An agent’s influence should never be underestimated in these scenarios, particularly when it comes to their ability to steer a player to a particular destination. 

Ayton is by no means a perfect player. Nor was he penciled in by most pundits to land with LA at the start of free agency, when he was still under contract with Portland. I certainly didn’t mention him during my free agent targets entry, but things move quickly in the NBA. One thing Ayton has going for him is youth; at 26 years of age, he is much younger than the other crop of free agents presumed to be of interest to the Lakers. Brook Lopez is 37. Al Horford is 39. Clint Capela is 31. None of those guys, for all of their virtues, meet LAs preference for youth. Ayton could in theory be a longterm fit for LA, provided that he has a strong showing in 2026, after which he will more than likely opt-out of his player option. The same can’t be said for the other players in question. 

As far as on-court fit with Ayton, there is both bad and good. The counting stats definitely look solid. 14.4ppg to go with 10.2rpg and a block per game. He did this on 57% shooting from the field and 67% from the stripe. In all truth, great numbers for a 4th/5th option. However it’s on the other side of the ball where his deficiencies come to surface. He isn’t the greatest, or the most willing defender. Often exerting a poor effort on that department. His ball screen coverage is lackluster, opting to play in a deep drop coverage and failing to make a convincing effort to contest shots. His block rates are also poor, which is supported but the counting stats. Though he possesses all the physical tools, he doesn’t seem to consistently put forth the best effort on the defensive end. The Lakers’ coaching staff however, has proven the ability to get the most value out of centers who don’t exactly have a defensive reputation. Take Jaxson Hayes for example, who the Lakers also just resigned to 1 year/veteran’s minimum deal. Hayes posted his best rebounding numbers of his career, as well as his best shooting percentage (72%), on a team where he was the only viable center post all-star break. He filled the role admirably during that stretch, some of which can be directly attributed to the Lakers’ coaching staff and their ability to work with young players (Hayes is 25). The hope is that some of that coaching can rub off on Ayton, not to mention the responsibilities that come with playing for a team with serious playoff aspirations. Perhaps these factors can serve as positive influences for the young, inconsistent yet immensely talented Ayton.

On the flip side, Ayton’s offense is a fairly seamless fit in LAs system. To start, his ability as a pick setter is quite excellent. Then his ability to roll, catch and finish is exactly the type of skillset you want next to Luka on the pick and roll. Ayton is a gifted athlete, with outstanding mobility for a player his size. It really is just a matter of effort with him. He will certainly bring a dimension to the pick and roll that they haven’t had since perhaps AD. Except Luka never played with AD. Ayton can set a good pick, and has great instincts for angles which allow him to maximize his rolling prowess. He’s also possesses the athletic profile (7’0” 250lbs) to finish virtually everything around the rim. His addition to the offense will certainly unlock even more avenues for players on the weak side. His roll-man gravity will help players like Rui or Dalton Knecht feast on open shots on the single side, opposite of the ball handler. Ayton can also run the floor and fill the lanes extremely well. Again, it comes down to effort. If the effort is there on both ends, we could see a hungry and motivated season from the big man, one that could presumably net him the great payday he’s seeking. But more importantly, he can help LA win some games in the immediate future. 

The Lakers also signed 6’8” forward Jake LaRavia to a 2 year/$12M contract. LA essentially split the midlevel exception ($14.5M) into Ayton and LaRavia. The 23 year old forward just completed his third season in the NBA, one that saw him traded from Memphis to Sacramento during the trade deadline. LaRavia put up 6.9ppg and 3.9rpg on roughly 47% shooting overall and 42% from beyond the arc. He certainly has the tools to excel in the Lakers’ offense. He’ll be a nice weapon to slot on the weak side of pick and rolls, when Luka is handling the ball and Ayton is rolling hard to the rim. He can stretch a defense as well as hit the open trey when his defender is cheating. He is also a good off-ball threat, as he can cut and dive to the hoop when there’s an open lane. He’s a very good spot-up shooter and also has a decent handle to boot. At 23 years old, he’s exactly the type of acquisition this team needs. Young, somewhat raw, but with plenty of upside, and on a team-friendly deal as well. His defense though, is a question mark. He plays with great effort. He rotates purposefully, and moves his feet. However, he’s still raw on that end and still requires some work. But again, this is where the Lakers’ coaching staff can take these players’ games to the next level. It’s a great signing by LA, given that LaRavia is young, plays with the right attitude and still has plenty of room for growth. 

Jake LaRavia will be replacing forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who inked a 4 year/$53M contract with the Houston Rockets at the start of free agency. While it certainly hurts to see DFS go (he was perhaps the team’s best defender on the perimeter), I think it was a wise move by LAs front office to have not matched Houston’s contract offer. DFS is 32, and a four-year deal at this stage, for that type of player, is not the smartest strategy for the Lakers. He’ll be 36 by the end of his contract, where the team runs the risk of him being a negative asset by then. They decided to go younger by replacing DFS with Jake LaRavia, who isn’t nearly the defender that DFS is, but in my opinion is more advanced offensively and still possesses the tools to work himself into a positive player on the defensive end. The Lakers are going younger, and are deliberately targeting players that project for the future. And I’m OK with that. Quite frankly, it’s a philosophy they should’ve adopted long ago. My only hope is that the commitment to this ideal is legitimate and not just for show, eventually reverting back to the old ways. 

LA also retained the services of center Jaxson Hayes, who signed a 1 year/$3.6M deal to remain with the club. Hayes is who is at this point. He’s a journeyman center, who found relative success last season after Anthony Davis was traded, with Jaxson remaining as the only true center on the roster. There were certainly some positives, as we saw Hayes excel in the pick and roll, being the recipient of many Luka Dončić lobs. However, come playoff time, Jaxson was handily played off the floor. Head Coach JJ Redick infamously refused to play him late in the series, forcing the Lakers to play small, thus helping the Minnesota Timberwolves capitalize on LAs lack of size. Hayes is not a perfect player as we all know, but in a strict backup role, I believe he’s adequate. If he can duplicate his output from late last season, the Lakers will be in good shape. On a one-year contract, he’s also doesn’t hurt future cap considerations. Not the perfect option by any stretch, but on a team starved for size, Hayes certainly fits a need, albeit not perfectly. 

Have the Lakers assembled a surefire championship roster? Probably not. But personally, I like their commitment to acquiring young pieces that can pay off in the future while also not hindering the team’s financial flexibility. And honestly, with LeBron opting-in to his albatross $52M player contract, it’s virtually impossible to properly field a legitimate contender, as he did not leave the team any breathing room to add truly significant pieces. As things stand, I believe Rob Pelinka made good use of the non tax-payer mid-level exception, by bringing in both Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. These aren’t the mega-splashy affairs that are usually attributed to the Purple and Gold, but they are solid moves considering the cap limitations. At least they aren’t panicking, and making short-sighted decisions that end up flopping in the immediate future while also hurting future flexibility (like the Russell Westbrook trade). I think the Lakers understand their position, and are doing what they can to maximize it. There will be plenty of opportunities to add the requisite pieces around Dončić once James’ contract is off the books. For now, they will roll with the existing roster and look to make tweaks around the edges, without kneecapping themselves with bad contracts. You can never predict the future, but I think the Lakers current approach is both prudent and pragmatic, if unspectacular. It remains to be seen what this current squad will bring to the table. So far they’ve done a respectable job of addressing weaknesses via free agency. Hopefully they can take that bi-annual exception and bring in another young talent at the wing. We’ll see what they do next. Go Lakers.