CONCERNS FOR THE LAKERS 😳 Will Deandre Ayton HELP MOTIVATE Luka Doncic in LA? 👀 | First Take

CONCERNS FOR THE LAKERS 😳 Will Deandre Ayton HELP MOTIVATE Luka Doncic in LA? 👀 | First Take

Let’s dive right in. The Lakers finally got their big man after clearing waiverss yesterday. Free agent center DeAndre Aton has agreed to sign a 2-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Sources told ESPN the former number one pick averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds while shooting 56.6% 6% last season and is the first player to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds and each of his first seven NBA seasons since Dwight Howard did it. So, let’s take a look at the moves the Lakers have made thus far this off season. They lost Dorian Finny Smith to the Rockets, though they were able to sign both DeAndre Aton and Jake Larabia to two-year deals. David, how does the Eightton move affect your confidence in the Lakers? Okay, let’s start on the bright side here. The bright side is they have a center who’s better than Jackson Hayes, which means that they have a center, right? They have somebody who is going to play center minutes. That’s about the end of the bright side that I have for this Lakers team. This cannot be the move that you feel like is going to get you closer to a championship. This cannot be the move that should instill confidence in Luca Donic or anybody else that you have somebody who is going to play meaningful minutes come playoff time. And this is not going to instill confidence that him and that JJ Reic is going to have an easier job coaching a guy who you can name all those numbers. Those numbers you named were beautiful. All the rebounds, they’re great. You said Dwight Howard’s name, that’s really cool. But what we also know is that he has been, you know, moved on from other organizations who have basically had enough of dealing with him. We know that there’s issues with motivation, with having his head screwed on straight, and you’re going to add that to an organization that is already sort of in flux right now with LeBron James and his statements that he’s made with Rich Paul and trying to keep Luca Donis there and a secondyear coach and JJ Reic and the Western Conference and all the issues that you have. Other than that, everything is great. But right now, I have real concerns about what the Lakers are planning to do this offseason to make them any way better than what they had last year.
London attempts. I mean, that’s sort of the problem, right? Like, everybody’s looking at how can the Lakers become a contender. The Lakers weren’t really a contender last year, and there wasn’t really anything sitting out there in front of them that was going to make them a contender this off seasonason. Like, yeah, they signed DeAndre Aton. He’s one of the better centers that’s been available. He has his flaws, but he is a talented player. He’s more talented than most of the options they had at the start of free agency. But that also wasn’t going to fix the various flaws that this Laker team has, which is the reason why they lost in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. A Minnesota Timberwolves team that went on to lose to five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Right. That is the kind of gap that we’re talking about with where the Lakers are at. The Lakers are fourth in the betting odds right now. They’re fourth in the betting odds because of the proximity from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. We are still in a world where, you know, Vegas dominates where the odds are set. The Lakers really are a team that is barely a play in or barely a borderline they are a borderline playin team in the Western Conference. The obviously the Thunder are better, the Rockets are better, the Nuggets are better, the Warriors might be better, the Clippers are better, the Wolves are better. I mean, you’re already up to five or six teams. That’s before you talk about San Antonio. It’s before you talk about Dallas with a healthy Kyrie Irving. Like, they are a talented team, but the Western Conference is incredibly deep, and there’s just not a real path to them being that good. And whether it was DeAndre or somebody else, it wasn’t going to solve that. Yeah, they had to fill a center position. They at least they got one. They think about at least they got somebody to play the position that’s seven feet and can actually get a rebound because that was a major issue for this team. Now the problem is is that fit with this team still has to include LeBron James. It still has to include how does it work because right now it’s all about Luca Dons. Right now it’s about building forward. DeAndre Aiden has a two-year deal. He has a player option. Why? because if things work out in LA for him, if he puts up good numbers, he might want to test the open market and see if he can get some more money. So, I don’t even know if he’s he’s 10 toes down right now in LA either. Luca is going to be on his case because Luca needs a big man. We saw that in Dallas, why it works. But this still all centers around LeBron James because Luca and LeBron together are why the Lakers are even in any conversation to be a contender in the West. But if those two guys aren’t together, this is barely a playoff game. You mentioned Luca, Alan. Was this move made for Luca or was this move made cuz they need a center? And there’s a difference, right? A rim running, a lob threat, both. So, you think he’s certainly Well, you you got to see if you could. First of all, they played Fortnite together,
but that’s cool. Okay, cool. That but I think you know from Dallas the right way to build around him is you definitely need a pick and roll center. You need somebody that can rebound and get outlets. That’s what Luca likes. So, you you get a player for Luca. So, it it is for now and it is for the future. Hey, if this works, if this hits, we have a guy that we can take forward because he’s still relatively young and he’s still a guy that hasn’t even touched his potential yet as a former number one pick. He is a double double machine, but he’s got to be motivated every single game. And boy, I’ll tell you what, mike up JJ Reic in these these huddles because that could be interesting.
Well, that’s the thing. We’re talking Luca, we’re talking LeBron. JJ Reic is an integral part of this. I’m not concerned. I’m not convinced that come playoff time, we’re in we’re in April and you have to if they even make it into the playoffs, right, and you’re facing a Minnesota, you’re facing one of these teams that Aton is going to see the court, he may be in the Jackson Hayes position. I know, you know, JJ may go small, but that patience, that patience wears thin with JJ Reic. We know that already. And if we see a DeAndre Aiden that is unmotivated, not competing, that’s slacking on defense, that even Luca Donic and LeBron James cannot reclaim him as this sort of renovation project, JJ Reic can say, “I don’t care about the contracts. I don’t care about any of that. I’m going with my five guys. We’re going to play 48 minutes like we did last time in the playoffs and everybody trashed me for doing that because I do not trust DeAndre Aiden. I think we’re more likely to see than to see a 20 and 10 DeAndre Aiden in the playoff.”
You know what he needs? By the way, this is we’re talking about the Lakers and Luca and all that stuff, but how about a guy that was a number one pick? This is it. Like, this is it. How could you not be motivated? It’s the Lakers. If you show up and you aren’t competing for a rebound or you’re a passenger or you’re somebody that’s an observer, you’re just you’re not even on the bus. No, you can’t have that kind of year in LA. You could do it in Portland. Nobody’s paying attention. Even in Phoenix, for a minute, it was sort of like everybody just stopped paying attention to Phoenix. Everybody’s watching right now. If you want to get that next big contract that he’s always talked about, you’re a number one pick. If you feel that much, if your future in the NBA right now relies on whether or not you show the hell up and compete for a Laker team that everybody’s saying right now is not good enough to win a championship.
They’re just not that close to being a championship level team and whether they sign Brook Lopez or DeAndre Aton or Al Horford, any of these free agent centers, it wasn’t going to change that fundamental reality, which is this team has to get better in a variety of areas and they have very few ways to do so. But if you’re somebody that is convinced LeBron is going to be on the Lakers next year, which I am personally not, and I don’t think you are as well, Allan, but I know you guys are. If you’re convinced LeBron is going to be on the Lakers next year, isn’t this his specialty? Isn’t the reclamation project with talent his specialty? He won a championship with the Lakers with Dwight Howard and Javal McGee as his centers. When he was in Miami, Chris Birdman Anderson was suspended from the NBA. Nobody remembered he existed. He comes off the street and he was great for them. He said, correct me if I’m wrong, you guys were covering the Knicks at the time. I’ll take J.R. Smith. I got him. And J.R. Smith was great in helping them win a championship. So if you believe LeBron is going to be in the Lakers, why do you not believe he can have this as a reclamation project, a number one overall pick in the draft?
I believe that DeAndre Aton can play well with Luca Donuch and LeBron James. I think that’s very good, a very good possibility and I think this is a very good opportunity for him. It is a chance for him to have the slate completely wiped clean. And look, it’s a lot different when you’re a guy on a max contract, which he’s been the last four years, and you’re a guy who’s making eight or$9 million, which is what he’s making this year, right? that the barrier to clear to be a good player at that number is much lower. And if he comes in and plays to his potential, he could be an impact player and a big difference maker for the Lakers. There’s no question about that. He might have the highest upside of any center that they could have realistically gotten. But that’s a different question than the question that’s on the screen. How confident are you in the Lakers after this move? I’m not that confident in them because they have a lot of flaws and they’re just not that good of a team and they have to go up against these teams in the Western Conference that are just much deeper and more versatile and can do a lot more things than a Laker team with Luca, LeBron, and a lot of questions.
Yeah, I mean that that’s the point is is where where are the Lakers right now, right? And you can get the reclamation, you can make DeAndre Aiden into the best player you possibly can. That still does not raise your ceiling above where it is. The problem is the floor becomes so much lower because of the volatility that is DeAndre Aiden. All right, sticking on the subject of the Lakers. Before Los Angeles picked up DeAndre Aton yesterday, I explained my LeBron theory that I fully stand behind, by the way, that it’s on the table that LeBron plays on another team this season. Brian Winhorse, Hoop Collective podcast, had an interesting answer that we got to play back and dissect. Let’s take a listen. My conversations over the last three days have crystallized that the Lakers are essentially viewing LeBron as an expiring contract. And that may sound like a tossoff statement, but that’s not insignificant. I’m just unlocking the door because I’m not as convinced as before as is of its impossibility. All right. After hearing Wendy and seeing this addition of Eightton to the Lakers, Tim, should this move be enough to keep LeBron in Los Angeles?
I mean, again, this goes back to the conversation we’ve had all week, which is if LeBron James really wanted to compete for a championship, let’s go back to the rich ball statement, right? want a realistic chance to compete for a title. There was not a realistic chance for the Lakers to compete for a title almost no matter what they did this summer, right? We saw that last season. They weren’t good enough to make a first round series competitive against a team that couldn’t make the conference finals competitive against the Thunder. If the Lakers played the Thunder, it would not be a competitive series. Might be the same case if they play Houston or Denver or some of these other teams, too. So, again, if LeBron James had opted out of his contract and become a free agent, he could choose to go to Allen Hans New York Knicks. He could choose to go to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He could choose to go play with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis with the Dallas Mavericks. He could do whatever he wanted, right? When he opted into this contract, when he signed up for the Knicks or to play for the Lakers, that put him in a situation where there are just very limited options for him to go somewhere. Allen has made the point earlier on Get Up. You know, the Knicks said no to Kevin Durant, right? The Knicks said no to Kevin Durant in large part because of how difficult it was going to be to make a deal for Kevin Durant without gutting their team. LeBron James in the exact same spot with his salary number, with his no trade clause. You can’t. It’s very difficult if not impossible to make a deal for him for another team that makes sense for all parties involved. So yes, I’m not ruling anything out because in the NBA, we learned in February, especially with the Luca Donich trade, you can’t rule anything out in the NBA. But I think by opting into that contract, a lot of these fever dreams became much much much narrower possibilities.
See, TV is just cheating off my homework. That’s what he’s doing there. Using all the fun trying to give you props, man, I had to bring to the table.
Trying to give you props. First and foremost, if LeBron James, like you guys were talking about LeBron James getting the most out of DeAndre Aton, like your theory of how he he takes marginal players and makes him better. How? As he’s already been told, this ain’t your team anymore. This is Lucas team, right? He’s been told that. That’s pretty clear. That’s why they put out that statement because they know what the Lakers have told them. We’re really building now with Luca Donsich as the primary piece going forward. When has LeBron James ever been the secondary piece?
Never. Never. So, you’re going to have him on a team and now he’s going to well, let me let me get the most out of DeAndre Aiden for all these. Come on. Like, like that. That’s why what what you were talking about, David, like like how the floor is so much lower because there is a potential chaos in there that could happen and a frustration that could build up. But when it comes to LeBron’s future in LA, I think the writing’s on the wall. Like, it’s clear that they put out that statement for a reason. And it wasn’t just leverage to push the Lakers to build for winning right now. They were letting the world know, listen, what we’re trying to do is have a realistic chance to win it all. That’s what LeBron James wants in what could be a farewell tour. We know it’s not with the Lakers because the Lakers even know this coming year probably not going to be a realistic chance.
We know it’s not with the Lakers
unless they move to the East.
Well, are you reporting that? We We know it’s not it’s not a championship year with the Lakers now, but in the future like this are you saying he’ll play this year and then move on?
That’s all he’s got. He’s got one year. picked up one year, but there was no negotiation for an extension, right? There was nothing like that. There was no talk about an extension a multiple year. No, he picked up his option and that’s it. There’s a finalization right now to his future in LA, whether it’s this off season or next off seasonason, but it’s coming.
Tim is totally right. If LeBron wanted to move, he would have done he would have not, you know, taken this contract. He would have moved on, right? That would have been that would have happened. My question here is why are we even talking about LeBron James right now? I know it’s not it’s blast me to say that. Well, it’s LeBron James.
It’s LeBron James. But this we’re concerned about LeBron. LeBron is concerned about LeBron. Rich Paul is concerned about LeBron. The Lakers are not concerned about LeBron. The Lakers are concerned about Luca Don. This is all about Luca and what’s right for him. They do not seem to I mean, of course, LeBron is a secondary piece to that organization. They want him there and all that stuff, but this is all about making moves for Luca Don. If Luka Donis walks down there, walks in their front office and says, “Stretch LeBron, buy him out, do all that stuff,” Lakers are going to do that. He’s not he’s not going to say that. LeBron is going to stay with every move that the Lakers are making right now is about Luca Don and Luka Don in that future. And LeBron James for him this is foreign territory. He’s never been as disposable or expendable as he is right now with this Lakers organization.
Expendable. Can I remind you he was second team allNBA. That means he’s one of the top 10 players in the league despite the fact that he’s 40 and he’ll be 41 in December. all that all that that people are talking about with age. I understand it, but we’re in a different world with athletes now where 40 is not exactly over the hill anymore. We’re seeing some players, especially the high-end ones, can play at a high level and continue to do that. He’s got one year. When have we ever seen him just kind of fade away? This is not going to be a quiet goodbye. This guy wants to wants his career to end on a high note, clearly. And they’re going to try to figure out a way to get him there come hell or high water. There’s no way I see them just saying stay in LA and just kind of play the good soldier and I’ll just support everyone. That’s not his way. His way is the narrative. Well, his way is out the window because he has no choice right now. He has no choice. He is locked into that contract. There is nothing he can do about it. He can’t get they there’s not no trade that works. They’re not going to buy this dude out. He is a Laker this year no matter what. And this team and signing into that Lakers means that he is signing in to be a second fiddle to Luca Don. Luka Don being the number one guy who drives the boat for that team.

Tim Bontemps, David Dennis Jr. and Alan Hahn join Evan Cohen on First Take to discuss offseason storylines around the NBA after a wild start to free agency, diving into the Los Angeles Lakers signing Deandre Ayton to join Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

0:00 Ayton joins the Lakers
1:30 Real concerns for the Lakers
3:33 How will LeBron still fit?
4:45 This for Luka or for a center?
6:50 Is this LeBron’s “specialty?”
8:47 “Lakers see LeBron as an expiring contract”
10:45 Is LeBron staying in LA?
12:34 “Why are we talking about LeBron?”

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