In July, the Los Angeles Lakers traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards. They got guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks in return.
Shaquille O’Neal welcomes the news that Ayton will no longer be in Los Angeles. As the Lakers continue to change things up this offseason, Shaq is adamant that whoever will take over the center spot will be better than Ayton, per Owen Crisafulli of Heavy.com.
“It’s only one great center and a lot of good centers,” O’Neal said. “I don’t know what the Lakers offense is gonna look like yet, but you got guys … they can do a lot of stuff around the rim, unlike ‘Dominayton,’ who didn’t do anything.”
Ayton played and started in 72 games last year. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 27.2 minutes of play. Ayton also shot a career-high 67.1% from the field.
However, Ayton was criticized for periods of inconsistency and not playing with a sense of aggression to complement his 7-foot-1 stature.
The Lakers acquired young big man Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade. Then, Los Angeles signed Kevon Looney to a one-year $3.9 million deal. They followed up by signing Sandro Mamukelashvili to a four-year $52 million contract.
The Lakers are undergoing a renovation after LeBron James declared for free agency before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. Now Los Angeles is looking to build around Luka Doncic, and with that comes the need for size and strength.
O’Neal played for the Lakers from 1996 to 2004, winning three NBA championships (2000, 2001, 2002).
In July, the Los Angeles Lakers traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards. They got guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks in return. Shaquille O’Neal welcomes the news that Ayton will no longer be in Los Angeles. As the Lakers continue to change things up this offseason, Shaq is adamant that whoever will take over the center spot will be better than Ayton, per Owen Crisafulli of Heavy.