Sources: Deandre Ayton agreed to sign with Los Angeles Lakers

In Lakers, Deandre Ayton will become the starting pivot, will serve as an anchor and collaborate with Luka Doncic, also selected in 2018.

Deandre Ayton has agreed to sign with Los Angeles Lakersaccording to AM850.

Between Portland and Los Angeles, Ayton will earn $ 34 million next season. Agents Nima Namakian, of Innovate Sports, and Bill Duffy, of Wme Sports, reached an agreement with the president of the Lakers, Rob Pelinka.

Ayton ended his termination contract with the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. His representatives approached the franchise to express their desire to play in a winning situation and to understand the growing number of young pivots of the team. Several teams contacted the general manager of the Blazers, Joe Cronin, to obtain information about Ayton and received excellent criticism about their leadership and mentoring with high players such as Donovan Clingan.

In Lakers, Ayton will become the starting pivot, will serve as an anchor and collaborate with Luka Doncic, also selected in 2018, in the Lakers. Ayton and Doncic were numbers 1 and 3, respectively, of the 2018 Draft, forging a relationship from that generation.

Ayton exceeded the waivers list of free agency on Wednesday night and took some time to meet with interested teams before deciding on the Lakers.

Ayton, who will turn 27 on July 23, averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds, with 56.6% of success in field shots last season.

He is the first player to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of his first seven seasons in the NBA from Dwight Howard, whose career began in the 2004-05 season. Ayton is also one of the four players to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of the last seven seasons, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Nikola Vucevic.

Ayton was appointed member of the ideal rookie team of the 2018-19 season and averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds, with 59.7% of success in field shots in his five seasons with Phoenix.

Ayton played only 40 games with Portland last season, the second smallest amount of his career, and has participated in only 95 of the 164 possible games in the last two campaigns.