“I have a team that’s ready to win a championship” – Ayton blames the Blazers’ situation for his struggles originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Los Angeles Lakers finally found their big man in Deandre Ayton. The former No.1 pick signed a two-year deal worth a reported $16.6 million, which includes a player option for 2026-27.
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On Tuesday, Ayton met with L.A. reporters for the first time. Shortly after his introductory press conference, DA hooked up with ESPN L.A.’s Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan and talked about several topics, including why he chose to sign with the Lakers.
“I have a team that’s ready to win a championship and has the best two playmakers in the world,” Ayton said. “I know the type of player I am when I have players of that caliber around me — how I thrive and the contribution they’ll get out of me.”
Ayton’s performance dropped in Portland
Of course, he was talking about LeBron James and Luka Doncic, who will take turns feeding him the ball down low or throwing him the lob pass in “Lala Land”. In the best two years of his NBA career, Ayton had a couple of elite playmakers in Ricky Rubio during the 2019-20 season and Chris Paul in 2022-23.
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Paul was also the Phoenix Suns’ court general when they went 51-21 and made a run to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they took a 2-0 series lead before the Milwaukee Bucks won four in a row to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy.
In that series, Ayton put up a monster 22 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1, averaging 14.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per night in six games. However, since Deandre was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023, his numbers have dropped. According to DA, it was because of the circumstances in Portland.
“You haven’t seen that Finals version of me because the environments were focused on development, not winning, “Ayton explained. “That’s why I’m here. I think I’m about to turn 27. It’s time for me to be back in the conversation about winning before this thing ends.”
Winning changes everything
DA believes that playing in a winning environment again will bring out the best in him, just like when he played for a contender in Phoenix. Ayton also expressed his excitement about playing with Doncic, who was drafted two spots after him in 2018. Deandre has played Luka before, including in the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, where the Don’s Dallas Mavericks beat Ayton’s Suns in Game 7.
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“Luka is a one-time generational player. I know what type of player I am, and I just know the type of things we can do on the floor together, be astonishing to see. I feel like a video game builds us together, putting us two on one team, and you know just trying my best to really think about this pick and roll, on things are going to go with this two-man game,” he added.
On paper, Ayton is the perfect partner for Doncic. He is young, long, and athletic. However, given his history in Phoenix and Portland, it’s a wait-and-see situation right now in Los Angeles. Hopefully, playing with LeBron and Luka brings out the best in Deandre.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.