Ayton: Joining Doncic 'feels like a video game'

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- More than 7 years aft being selected 2 spots up of Luka Doncic successful the NBA Draft, 2018 No. 1 prime Deandre Ayton was amazed Tuesday erstwhile helium was introduced arsenic Doncic's newest Los Angeles Lakers teammate.

"This feels similar a video game, similar idiosyncratic acceptable it up," Ayton, decked retired successful an all-black suit, said astatine his introductory quality conference. "This is an accidental that I won't instrumentality for granted. Luka is simply a once-in-a-generation player, and I'm blessed to beryllium his teammate. Hearing astir the benignant of signifier he's been in, he's ace ripped, and I'm yet gladsome to beryllium connected his side."

While a slimmed-down Doncic could surely assistance the Lakers successful the hyper-competitive Western Conference adjacent season, Ayton's accomplishment could beryllium adjacent much consequential.

Lakers president of hoops operations and wide manager Rob Pelinka identified the halfway presumption arsenic the team's apical request for the offseason. Ayton, 26, stands 7-foot, 250 pounds with vocation averages of 16.4 points connected 59.0% shooting, 10.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.

He agreed to a two-year, $16.6 cardinal contract, sources told ESPN, with a subordinate enactment for the 2nd twelvemonth aft being bought retired of his declaration with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Once a cardinal cog connected a Phoenix Suns squad that was 2 wins distant from winning the 2021 NBA Finals and followed that up with a 64-win season, Ayton admitted that his clip successful Portland -- wherever the Blazers won 57 games combined implicit their past 2 campaigns -- was a challenge.

"I consciousness similar the Lakers were the champion presumption [for me]," Ayton said. "They privation to triumph a title close present and I privation to triumph close present arsenic good and conscionable beryllium portion of a winning bequest and beryllium astir winners. ... The past 2 years was conscionable a antithetic way for maine and I conscionable learned a batch that erstwhile you don't triumph successful this league, you tin beryllium forgotten."

And immoderate uncertainty astir the Lakers' being led by Doncic and LeBron James erstwhile again adjacent play was seemingly forgotten astir wrong the Lakers' signifier installation connected Monday. Both Ayton and guardant Jake LaRavia, who besides was introduced aft signing a two-year, $12 cardinal escaped declaration with L.A. successful escaped agency, repeatedly referred to however they program to acceptable with the 2 stars.

"They some mean astir 9 assists implicit their vocation span," Ayton said. "They crook [their teammates] into superstars, they marque them bigger than their roles, they marque them precise important connected the floor."

Added LaRavia: "A batch of evidently really, truly bully players connected this team, Luka and LeBron. High IQ players, that person been successful the league a agelong time. I'm conscionable excited to get with them and learn."

Last month, James opted into the last twelvemonth of his declaration with Los Angeles worthy $52.6 million. Following the declaration decision, which acceptable James up to play a league-record 23rd season, his cause and Klutch Sports CEO, Rich Paul, told ESPN's Shams Charania the four-time MVP would beryllium intimately monitoring L.A.'s consequent moves.

"LeBron wants to vie for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are gathering for the future. He understands that, but helium values a realistic accidental of winning it all."

Since Paul's statement, Los Angeles traded up successful the 2nd circular to draught rugged guardant Adou Thiero retired of Arkansas, signed Ayton and LaRavia, and re-signed halfway Jaxson Hayes.

As for Doncic, travel Aug. 2, the Lakers tin connection him a four-year, $229 cardinal extension. Doncic could besides opt to motion a three-year, $165 cardinal hold with a subordinate enactment successful 2028, according to ESPN NBA beforehand bureau insider Bobby Marks, which would past let him to motion a max woody successful 2028 that would springiness him 35% of the wage headdress for 5 seasons.

The Lakers' roster is presently astatine max capacity, with 15 players signed. Reserve defender Shake Milton's $3 cardinal declaration for adjacent play becomes afloat guaranteed July 20 and back-up Jordan Goodwin's $2.3 cardinal declaration is guaranteed for lone $25,000 up until the archetypal time of the regular season, according to Marks.