This summer, the LA Clippers needed a quality center as desperately as anyone in the NBA. Ivica Zubac is, of course, heavily valued and cherished for what he does, but Drew Eubanks was not going to cut it as the backup. He was producing spare change in the second unit as a liability when the Clippers needed dollar bills to legitimately compete.
Furthermore, the Clippers did not improve as much as teams like the Houston Rockets, but they fixed the center void by signing Brook Lopez for the next two seasons. He was the top target for various teams, yet the veteran big man could have prioritized reuniting with Zubac, as they co-existed on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017-18.
However, before the offseason began, the one team that needed a competent big man more than the Clippers was the Lakers. Their franchise star, Luka Dončić, needs an effective center to raise the floor of his team, and although Jaxson Hayes was solid, Los Angeles needed better.
Lopez seemed to be their guy in mind, but with him on the Clippers, Clint Capela back on the Rockets, and Luke Kornet on the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers’ front office was walking on eggshells in their ongoing hunt for center help.
One player who was supposed to be a superstar, Deandre Ayton, just signed to the Lakers after being bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers. Statistically, he was a great find, but when watching the film, Clipper Nation will only be able to laugh at the level of energy he contributes.
BREAKING: Deandre Ayton has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Between Portland and L.A., Ayton will earn $34 million next season. Agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports reached the deal with Lakers president Rob Pelinka. pic.twitter.com/FUeNAkN19K
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers got caught up in statistics and missed the realization that the LA Clippers had before Brook Lopez was signed
Once Deandre Ayton was announced as one of the top centers in the free agent market, it is hard to believe the LA Clippers did not at least think for a second about the type of fit he would be in red, white, and blue.
He is a young yet solid rebounding and finishing center, but his biggest flaw is a lack of effort. This has been an issue since he was a Phoenix Sun, and it will have JJ Redick losing his mind as passion is something he emphasizes.
The Los Angeles Lakers missed this blatant weakness in Ayton’s game just because of how well he pairs with Luka Dončić. This will become a problem in the long run, which calls for a joke or two, as the Clippers stole their target, signed the more valuable center, and avoided the predictable.