Lakers C Deandre Ayton reportedly picks up $8.1 million player option for 2026-27 season
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton is opting into his $8.1 million player option for the upcoming NBA season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Ayton averaged 12.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block per game in his first season with the Lakers, playing a career-high 72 games. The 7-footer signed a two-year, $16.2 million contract that included the player option for the second year.
The Lakers finished fourth in the Western Conference with a 53-29 record before defeating the Houston Rockets in a first-round playoff series. Los Angeles was then swept in four games by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
During the postseason, Ayton averaged 10 points and 9.6 rebounds. In three of the six playoff games versus the Rockets, he scored 18 or more points and grabbed 43 total rebounds in the final three games of the series.
Prior to Ayton picking up his option and Austin Reaves agreeing to a four-year, $185 million max contract, the Lakers projected to have up to $51 million in salary cap space going into free agency. However, to reach that figure, the team would have to renounce its current free agents, including LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard.
With Ayton, the Lakers still need more help at center. Jaxson Hayes was the only other center on the roster and he’s a free agent. Potential targets could include restricted free agents Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler, Mitchell Robinson and Kristaps Porziņģis.
However, the Lakers’ offseason will revolve around whether or not the team re-signs James.
Ayton, who turns 28 on July 23, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns out of Arizona. He played five seasons with the Suns before he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
After two seasons with the Blazers, Ayton was waived after reaching a buyout agreement for the final year of his four-year contract.
In his eight NBA seasons, Ayton has averaged 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1 block per game.
