Lakers get major boost as 7’1 center target reaches buyout agreement with current team 

The LA Lakers might be looking at their next starting center as the Portland Trail Blazers are planning to buy out DeAndre Ayton's contract. Since Anthony Davis got traded for Luka Doncic in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, the Purple and Gold have struggled as a team inside the paint. Despite boosting their offensive prowess, they became too small a lineup to compete.

However, LA now has an opportunity to solve that issue in the form of Ayton. During the 2025 NBA draft, the Trail Blazers selected Hansen Yang with the No. 16 pick of the draft. Given how Portland drafted a center, this sparked rumors that they plan on letting go of Ayton. True enough, NBA insider Sham Charania reported that the Trail Blazers will buy out Ayton.

While the Lakers didn't necessarily express interest in DeAndre Ayton, they now have reasons to consider him as an option. Ayton was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft. Despite the criticism that surrounded him as a player, he reached extensive heights when he played for the Phoenix Suns. He was also the Western Conference Finals MVP in 2021.

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The only major concern LA should consider is Ayton's injury tendencies. The Lakers are no strangers to having injury-prone players, particularly at the center position. However, that doesn't mean that the team should risk having such a player on their team again.

LeBron James opts for another season with Lakers

LeBron James is set to play in his 23rd season in the NBA. Despite rumors of his retirement circulating since getting knocked out of the 2025 playoffs, James decided to exercise his player option and play the final year of his current contract with the franchise.

James is expecting $52.6 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2026. There's also a chance that this could be his final year in the league, depending on how the season goes. However, many are debating that LeBron is likely to stick around to wait for his second son's arrival in the league.

Bryce James is expected to play for the Arizona Wildcats in the NCAA this coming season. After that, there are rumors that he could follow in his older brother's footsteps and opt for the 2026 NBA draft after only one year in college.

With that in mind, it makes sense for "King James" to play at least another year with his two boys before considering retirement.

Edited by Veer Badani