Do Lakers and Deandre Ayton make sense together? Here’s how it could work

The Los Angeles Lakers are heading towards an important offseason, for a multitude of reasons and their immediate need for significant updates cannot be overrated.

Let’s take a look at their situation and how a recent development could help them add high -level talents to their organization.

LeBron basically told them that it is time to become serious

When Lebron James collected his option as a player from $ 52.6 million on Sunday, he arrived with a message to the Lakers, through his agent Rich Paul.

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“Lebron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said to Espn. “He knows that the Lakers are building for the future. He understands it, but appreciates a realistic possibility of winning everything. We are highly appreciated for the partnership that we have had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] And consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while we prepare for the future. We want to evaluate what is best for Lebron at this stage of his life and career. He wants to do every season that has left the count and Lakers understand him, are supported and want what is best for him.”

For the unboted, we translate this into what really means: You would do better to make serious updates right now, or I will ask for an exchange somewhere else where I can win a title.

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That’s why James collected the option first.

With only the Brooklyn networks who have space on the limit, there would be no external team that could pay him a maximum level salary, or even close to it. By collecting an option of almost $ 53 million, James is now paid and can direct his trade in a destination more or less of his choice.

The 40 -year -old remains an elite talent and is well aware of the fact that the watch is ticked. In recent years, James has hinted that his time in the NBA will end soon, and should not surprise if he has an appointment for when he leaves the game forever.

But until then, he is actively looking for a situation in which another championship can win.

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Fortunately for James, something happened late that he could help the Lakers to give him and the team in general, an injection of talents.

Is it time that Deandre Ayton goes to California?

The Portland Trail blazers and the Deandre Ayton center are finalizing a buyout that would make Ayton a free agent without restrictions this summer.

It is a move that is shocking in its title, but completely logical when you dig a little more.

Ayton was entering the last year of his contract and with Portland looking for centers in the first round in each of the last two drafts, his future seemed more and more uncertain.

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The 26 -year -old was the best overall choice of the draft 2018 and if he were to sign with the Lakers, he would have intervened as an immediate appetizer without frills of that team, given the lack of depth of the team in that position.

Ayton is not perfect. His game can be inconsistent, as well as his effort, but will give the rebound of the quality of the Lakers (10.5 for his career) and a reliable presence of score (16.7 points), with a strong internal defense to be started.

Are you the best theoretical player to match James and Luka Dončić? No. But since he could only sign openly with the organization and therefore save the team from giving up commercial activities, is the best option for Lakers in their current situation? It would be a sensational yes.

Put the pieces together

Lakers are in hard cut to the second apron, which means that they cannot overcome. They are also below the first apron, almost $ 20 million.

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This means that they have access, as currently built, to the full average exception does not set by $ 14.1 million. (As pointed out in these pages previously, the name of the MLE does not imparate is bad, because you are allowed to use it even if you are a tax team. You are not allowed to overcome the first apron in doing it.)

The Lakers could theoretically sign Ayton in that exception and should be fine. But the team also wants to cling to Dorian Finney-Smith, which makes much sense. If Finney-Smith, who is a free agent without restrictions, is also looking for money between $ 12-15 million per year, the Lakers would have a problem. In no case, they cannot sign Ayton to the entire MLE do not impact and later exceed the first apron.

So, then maybe there is a compromise to find with Ayton here.

The Lakers could argue that they would be the best possible display window for him for the next season. With James who turns 41 during the season and Lakers they certainly want to optimize their flexibility for when he retires, to build around Dončić, he could even benefit from them not to fuck long -term money in Ayton to begin with.

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As such, if the Lakers use only a part of the MLE do not impact to sign Ayton, like $ 5 million, they can again sign Finney-Smith using the rights of birds, up to-but not beyond-the first apron. This will substantially remove any possible flexibility that they have in the future, but will have made an update and maintain one of their main boys.

The final product would be an initial group of, presumably, Dončić, James, Ayton, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, with Finney-Smith, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and Vanderbilt Jarred in rotation.

That team still feels a trade or two away from becoming really dangerous, above all because nobody really knows what can expect from Vincent, Kleber and Vanderbilt in particular.

However, this could be a problem for the commercial deadline and not for offseason Lakers.