Ayton Thread Update: Signs with Lakers

[keevsnick]

Funny thing is, people go crazy at how little defense Ayton played on Portland, they say the same thing about Simons. Doesn't anyone agree that that has a Lot to do with coaching! There seemed to be little emphasis placed on defense by the Portland Coaching staff. That is all I have been trying to say about Simons, I would love to keep him and see what the defense first mentality can do for his game.

"There seemed to be little emphasis placed on defense by the Portland Coaching staff"

Do not agree at all.

Yes, the Portland Trail Blazers had a top 5 defense in the second half of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Specifically, over the final 41 games of the season, their defensive rating (110.0) ranked third in the league. They also finished second in opponent three-point percentage during this period (.340). Coach Chauncey Billups' adjustments, including challenging Shaedon Sharpe to improve defensively, contributed to this defensive turnaround.

What that tells me is a lot of their success may very well have just been opponent three point luck.

41 Games Lucky???  It tells me that their coaching got the players to buy in.

Yes, 41 games lucky. Three-point shooting even over a whole season is not stable, and 3 point percentage year to year is extremely variable. If a team shoots 34% for 41 games their most likely outcome the next year is reverting closer to average.

Funny enough, the only team in the entire NBA who has been good to great every season the last 15 years or so is the Boston Celtics for reasons nobody can seem to figure out. Every other franchise has basically been pulled towards the mean, which is more like 36-37ish percent.

The BEST mark in the NBA for the whole season lats year was OKC who gave up 34.2% from three. So I'd be pretty shocked if Portland with notably worse personnel somewhere allowed only 34% next season.

Doesn't mean they won't still be good defensively, but they'll need to do it with likely worse luck.

[Kuberski33]

Actually this is the kind of low risk (hopefully) high reward signing that makes sense for a team in the Celtics situation. He would fill a short term need and if he wants to bet on himself for a year - this is the place to do it.  Of course he and Joe might be like oil and water, but if you bring him in you upgrade the talent level of the roster quite a bit - and they need talent. 

Brad had some good luck in his earlier years raising the value of guys like Evan Turner and Jordan Crawford. This would be a similar situation. It might make sense for both Ayton and the Celtics.

[Goldstar88]

Re: Ayton (bought out)wants to play for a winning team.  Why not the c's?

The Celtics more than likely won?t be a winning team this season. So there?s that. 

[Muzzy66]

Sorry but he is not a fit anywhere, Ayton is a lazy head case.

Think a combination of DeMarcus Cousins & late career Dwight Howard. At 26 years old, Portland paid him to go away, that is how much of a virus he has become.

I would VERY happily take either prime Cousins or late career Dwight on this roster.  All day, any day. 

I also think players who seem like headcases can often change a lot once they are put into better environments.  For example, Cousins didn't seem to really cause any issues once he went to Golden State. 

Hell, I can imagine Rondo being the type of guy who could have been seen as a headcase if he had initially found himself in a bad team/environment - yet here, surrounded by the right guys, he was a major asset. 

Likewise guys like Rasheed Wallace, Dennis Rodman and Draymond Green - these all tick every box of the "headcase" checklist, and yet all proved they could be critical pieces on championship teams.  There were also big question marks about Rob Williams's attitude IIRC prior to him coming to Boston, and yet when healthy he a huge contributor and impact player when in Boston.

I don't mind giving a guy like Ayton a shot.  I think he has a lot of the skills and talent to be a high impact for us, and if he can be put into a situation where he can see he's contributing to something special then maybe we might see some of that mentality change.

Worst-case scenario is that the guy is lazy, doesn't put in the work, doesn't come in with the right attitude, and ends up getting buried down in the roster and moved off in a year or two. 

At the end of the day Ayton is a legit 7-footer who is only 26 years old, who has averaged a double-double every single year he's been in the league (7 straight seasons), who has a positive career net rating and BPM and a FG% of 59%. 

I'm willing to take the risk.

[Muzzy66]

He is a 26 year old walking double double for his career.  I am not saying he is an all nba player, but he would get a ton of easy looks once Tatum comes back. He is at least a presence at the rim and automatically becomes the case best big.

Not saying to sign him to some crazy contract , but if he wants to prove himself in a winning situation, why not here?

We are in a much better spot than the Lakers moving forward, with more assets and youth on our roster, and a longer window IMO.

Move Simons and others to open up cap space?

It is hard to describe unless you have watched Ayton play a full game, but you cannot have him around.

Imagine a centre who when he tries is as dominant as anyone in the league but he almost never tries and you cannot attempt to motivate him because he responds negatively to any criticism.

Imagine a centre that is 7-1 but hates contact and refuses to protect the rim. If there is a fast break for the other team he rarely sprints back and refuses rush out to shooters on a switch.

If you do not feed him on offence he will sulk. If you bench Ayton he will sulk even more.

Even on a rebuilding team Ayton would kill the hard working mentally that the Celtics have cultivated.

https://youtu.be/pMgSJxBaBNU?feature=shared

So he's basically a 7'1" Lebron James?

[ozgod]

Sources: Deandre Ayton?s contract buyout with Portland forfeited $10 million of his $35.6 million 2025-26 salary.

So he took a buyout to go to a winning situation. If he signed a vet min contract with Boston for 1 year, what would they be able to offer him next year?

I know it seems like a long shot , but he would be a great fit with the J's for the last 5 years of their contending.


Pp
White
Jb
Tatum
Ayton

I think he's going to the Fakers. He and Luka share the same agent, and it was the agent, Bill Duffy, that pushed Ayton to seek a buyout from Portland. Portland were happy to oblige, citing Ayton's "poor effort", bad ways and general unprofessionalism, according to Jason Quick of the Athletic.

"But in the end, they couldn?t live with his bad ways. The tardiness to team flights and practices, according to a team source. The skipping of rehabilitation appointments. Fans saw him slam chairs when he was taken out of games. And a team source said there were tantrums in the locker room when he was sidelined for poor effort."

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/lakers-trade-target-deandre-ayton-064400672.html

Doesn't seem like someone we want to have around our team. Let the Fakers be inflicted with him 

[Celtics4ever]

Please sign with the Lakers, they deserve a guy like Ayton....

[Who]

The Indiana Pacers have registered interest in signing Deandre Ayton, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

Ayton signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Pacers in July 2022 as a restricted free agent with the Suns.

Fischer adds that Ayton is still likely to end up on the Lakers.

Hey hey, Indiana has joined the race for Ayton. I'd love to see them steal him away from LAL.

[tonydelk]

The Indiana Pacers have registered interest in signing Deandre Ayton, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

Ayton signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet with the Pacers in July 2022 as a restricted free agent with the Suns.

Fischer adds that Ayton is still likely to end up on the Lakers.

Hey hey, Indiana has joined the race for Ayton. I'd love to see them steal him away from LAL.

If anyone can get Ayton to buy in you'd think Rick Carlisle is on the short list.  One of the best in the business.

[Csfan1984]

He is a 26 year old walking double double for his career.  I am not saying he is an all nba player, but he would get a ton of easy looks once Tatum comes back. He is at least a presence at the rim and automatically becomes the case best big.

Not saying to sign him to some crazy contract , but if he wants to prove himself in a winning situation, why not here?

We are in a much better spot than the Lakers moving forward, with more assets and youth on our roster, and a longer window IMO.

Move Simons and others to open up cap space?

It is hard to describe unless you have watched Ayton play a full game, but you cannot have him around.

Imagine a centre who when he tries is as dominant as anyone in the league but he almost never tries and you cannot attempt to motivate him because he responds negatively to any criticism.

Imagine a centre that is 7-1 but hates contact and refuses to protect the rim. If there is a fast break for the other team he rarely sprints back and refuses rush out to shooters on a switch.

If you do not feed him on offence he will sulk. If you bench Ayton he will sulk even more.

Even on a rebuilding team Ayton would kill the hard working mentally that the Celtics have cultivated.

https://youtu.be/pMgSJxBaBNU?feature=shared

AD fits that IMO. AD absolutely should dominate most nights. Many skilled bigs just don't bring it every game.

[Csfan1984]

I'd try Ayton cheap and set him as a starter.

Everyone knows if you play good in Boston you will be overpaid your next contract. I can see Ayton avg 22/9/2/3 and someone would give him a Max deal next year. Smart investment if he buys in one year here.

[Who]

I'd try Ayton cheap and set him as a starter.

Everyone knows if you play good in Boston you will be overpaid your next contract. I can see Ayton avg 22/9/2/3 and someone would give him a Max deal next year. Smart investment if he buys in one year here.

I would love Ayton!

That would actually be something fun and worth looking forward to next season. The first quality interior center Boston has had in a long time. Especially one with an offensive game.

We had Perk who was a defensive center with a limited offensive game. Mark Blount who looked good for a brief period and was disappointing outside. Robert Parish? Was he the last center who could give Boston 15+ppg from interior scoring?

[Who]

Jake Weinbach
@JWeinbachNBA

Deandre Ayton will reportedly choose between the Lakers and Pacers with a decision expected to come as soon as today.

While the Lakers have been the clear-cut favorite since the news of the buyout, Indiana appears to be a legitimate option for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Big domino for both teams.

Big boost to either team's playoff dreams. Indy hurting without Myles Turner. LAL between a rock and a hard place at center if this falls through.

[Ilikesports17]

I'd try Ayton cheap and set him as a starter.

Everyone knows if you play good in Boston you will be overpaid your next contract. I can see Ayton avg 22/9/2/3 and someone would give him a Max deal next year. Smart investment if he buys in one year here.

I would love Ayton!

That would actually be something fun and worth looking forward to next season. The first quality interior center Boston has had in a long time. Especially one with an offensive game.

We had Perk who was a defensive center with a limited offensive game. Mark Blount who looked good for a brief period and was disappointing outside. Robert Parish? Was he the last center who could give Boston 15+ppg from interior scoring?

Big Al!

[Who]

I'd try Ayton cheap and set him as a starter.

Everyone knows if you play good in Boston you will be overpaid your next contract. I can see Ayton avg 22/9/2/3 and someone would give him a Max deal next year. Smart investment if he buys in one year here.

I would love Ayton!

That would actually be something fun and worth looking forward to next season. The first quality interior center Boston has had in a long time. Especially one with an offensive game.

We had Perk who was a defensive center with a limited offensive game. Mark Blount who looked good for a brief period and was disappointing outside. Robert Parish? Was he the last center who could give Boston 15+ppg from interior scoring?

Big Al!

True. True.

Big Al played mostly PF for us though, didn't he?

He didn't play center until after he left Boston. Perk was starting beside him in his final year here.