Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers were celebrated at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night with new additions Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. This came just 24 hours after the legendary Kobe Bryant was also celebrated at the L.A. Dodgers game with a bobblehead. His family was in attendance with his daughter Bianka throwing out the first pitch to kick off those festivities. Ayton, LaRavia and Thiero are new to Los Angeles so are still getting familiar with how intertwined the Lakers and Dodgers organizations are in the city.

Lakers Nation

Lakers Nation: Rate the first pitches of Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero during their visit to Dodger Stadium: 🎥: @DodgerBlue1958

Twitter

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton will throw out the first pitch on Aug. 9 when they host the Toronto Blue Jays. That is part of Lakers Night at Dodger Stadium and other members of the purple and gold are also expected to be in attendance to say the famous “It’s Time for Dodger Baseball” phrase before the game. Ayton recently joined L.A. after securing a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, allowing him to pick his new home. The former No. 1 overall pick is looking to rehab his value and it does not get better than playing alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the Lakers.

Lakers Nation

Dan Woike: Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and JJ Redick are all here for Luka's pressure.

Twitter

Shams Charania: When they acquired him in that trade, they wanted him to be the face for the next decade. And already this off season, I'm told, he's recruited Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton to the Lakers and, most importantly, Jay, about the money as well. In that trade, he lost out on a super max contract with the Mavericks this off season, but in 2028 he's going to have a player option in that deal. He can opt out of the deal and sign a projected five-year, $417 million contract that would then allow him to recoup all the money that he lost in that super max that he missed out on this offseason. So Luka Doncic is committed to the Lakers. Three years, $165 million today. ”

Twitter

But the Lakers won’t rest after securing Doncic. They’ll immediately get to work on improving the roster around him. They’ve already taken steps to preserve long-term cap flexibility in search of his co-star. They probably have a better chance at getting another star this way, given their limited remaining trade assets. They have a clear path to 2026 cap space. They can create $30 million to sign a top free agent while re-signing Austin Reaves to a new contract. That projection includes Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart opting into their respective player options. However, there is no clear-cut star player available in 2026 free agency.

Third Apron

Fast-forward to summer 2024, and I’m getting invited to play for Team Bahamas for the Olympic qualifiers. I was like, Why not? It felt like a good opportunity to level up my game by practicing with that caliber of players — NBA players like Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon. Something for the exposure, you know? Basically, I wasn’t expecting to actually play. Haha. I thought I was going to get the young buck treatment. You know, sit on the sidelines, watch the game, practice….. But also, deep down I was like, I can’t let that happen.

The Players' Tribune

I believe that Deandre Ayton was the Lakers' top target among centers from the first minute of free agency. I know it might have looked to some like the Lakers lost out to the Clippers on Brook Lopez and pivoted to Ayton, but that's not how it went down. Ayton and the Trail Blazers came to terms on a buyout agreement on the day before free agency officially began and the 7-foot Bahamian was instantly regarded by numerous interested teams as a virtual lock to land with the Lakers.

marcstein.substack.com

In addition to that, league sources said, Luka Doncic has been an active recruiter for the Lakers this summer and helped secure commitments from Ayton and Smart after both unexpectedly hit free agency via contract buyouts.

New York Times

While Luka Doncic hasn’t directly addressed his future with the franchise this summer — time he’s spent in Europe putting together an all-time revenge glow-up — his actions behind the scenes crystalize why the Lakers are confident with how things stand. Dončić, according to league sources, had communicated his desires for a capable rim-running center, shooting help and defensive support. The Lakers responded by filling those needs with Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and, soon, Marcus Smart.

New York Times

Marc Stein: League sources tell @TheSteinLine that Phoenix also has interest in Smart once he becomes an unrestricted free agent, but the expectation is that Smart will choose to join the Lakers as L.A.’s third marquee offseason acquisition along with Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia.

x.com

Jamaican-Bahamian NBA star Deandre Ayton, together with his Ayton Family Foundation, has expanded his philanthropic efforts to Jamaica by opening a revitalized community center in St. Elizabeth. The Cedar Spring Community Center will provide vital resources such as food, games, school supplies, health services, and more to the local community.

kaboommag.com

Ayton recently visited the island with his family, including his mother, who is of Jamaican descent, and former NBA star Dwight Howard, to mark the opening. “Back to where it all began. Together, we opened the doors to a renewed Cedar Spring Community Center in St. Elizabeth,” Ayton shared on Instagram. “Jamaica — the first AFF project on the island! With food, games, school supplies, health services, and a lot of love, we celebrated the strength and joy of this beautiful community.”

kaboommag.com

Jovan Buha: I’ve heard they have a good rapport—like, by NBA standards, a good rapport between Luka (Doncic) and Deandre Ayton. They share an agent. They were two of the top three picks in the same draft—the 2018 draft. Ayton went first, Luka went third. Their families have met each other. They have a relationship. Luka, I’ve been told, was on board with Ayton coming in. He gave the stamp of approval. He’s excited to have a pick-and-roll partner. And Deandre Ayton, for all the discourse around him, has been statistically one of the most efficient pick-and-roll finishers, lob threats, over the last few years. So I think Luka is excited—certainly an upgrade over Jaxson Hayes, let’s say. This is a guy who’s been a double-double every year of his career. Obviously, there’ve been some questions about his motor and whatnot. But I think he’s effectively in a contract year, so he’s got a lot to prove.

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