The news of Deandre Ayton exercising his $8.1 player option for the 2026-27 season to stay with the Lakers wasn’t surprising. Even with him outplaying the $8.1 salary he made from the Lakers in 2025-26 (he gave up $10 million of his $35.6 million contract in his buyout with the Trail Blazers last summer before…
Luka Doncic knows what the Lakers need, and Deandre Ayton isn’t the answer
