“I want to win” – Deandre Ayton shares championship mindset after joining LA Lakers
Deandre Ayton has made his ambitions clear in his first public comments as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers — and fans will be thrilled with what he had to say.
After months of uncertainty at the center position with Jaxson Hayes holding the starting role, the Lakers secured Ayton on a $16 million deal. Ayton arrives in LA after a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, and his addition is already being praised by supporters, including head coach JJ Redick.
Ayton’s relationship with Luka Doncic also reportedly influenced his decision to join the team. The feeling appears to be mutual, as Ayton expressed eagerness to play alongside Doncic next season. However, Lakers fans will be expecting strong performances from their new big man.
Ayton: “I wanted to be in a winning situation”
Ayton was officially introduced as a Laker during a press conference and spoke about what led him to choose Los Angeles. He emphasized his desire to win and believed the Lakers were the best fit to help him achieve that goal.
“I wanted to be in a winning situation,” Ayton said. “When free agency opened, my agents and I took a good look at the options. The Lakers stood out because they’re focused on winning a championship — and that’s exactly what I want too.
“Being around a winning culture and legacy means everything. It reminds me of my early years with the Suns. Once you experience winning, everything else becomes easier.
“The last two years were tough. I realized that in this league, if you’re not winning, you’re easy to overlook. So I’m grateful Lakers Nation welcomed me like they did.”
Lakers need more moves to become true contenders
Despite signing Ayton, the Lakers have been relatively quiet in free agency. They lost a key contributor when Dorian Finney-Smith chose the Houston Rockets, and replaced him with Jake LaRavia — a player with a similar style but less impact.
Right now, LA’s roster still doesn’t measure up to top Western Conference teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, or Rockets. General Manager Rob Pelinka will need to continue improving the roster if the Lakers want to compete at the highest level.
Otherwise, there’s a risk that LeBron James could consider other options, especially since his agent, Rich Paul, has been vocal about LeBron’s desire to compete for another championship.
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