The Lakers officially announced the signing of Ayton! Change to wear No. 5 to welcome a new chapter in his career. Perincarreddick gives high praise

On July 7, the NBA entered the offseason. The Lakers officially announced that the team officially signed center Ayton. The team's general manager Pelinka and coach Redick gave him full affirmation and praise.

According to previous reports, Ayton reached a buyout with the Trail Blazers. After the clarification period, Ayton chose to join the Lakers. It is reported that the two sides signed a two-year, $16.6 million contract. The Lakers officially announced earlier today: "Welcome to the Purple and Gold Army!" According to the accompanying pictures, Ayton will wear the No. 5 jersey in the Lakers.

For Ayton's joining, Lakers General Manager Pelinka said: "In this offseason, introducing a starting center is our top priority. We believe that Ayton is an excellent solution to achieve this goal and an ideal complement to our existing core lineup. Ayton's size, flexibility and athleticism allow him to score both in the inside and protect the inside. As a starting team at the Finals level, Ayton has rich playoff experience, which is also in line with our Lakers' desire to win the championship."

Lakers coach Redick also admires Ayton, who once praised Ayton on the show: " Ayton is in good shape and is excellent. In the double pick-and-roll cooperation, he is very good at punishing misaligned defense. When he was with Paul, they were the number one offensive combination among high-production pick-and-roll players. They have been the best duo in the past two seasons. In fact, this is the best partner Paul has ever worked with in the past six NBA seasons. "

In the 2024-25 season, Ayton played 40 games in the regular season, averaged 30.2 minutes per game, scored 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1 block, with a shooting percentage of 56.6%, 18.8% from three-pointers and 66.7% from free throws.

After joining the Lakers, Ayton will become teammates with James and Doncic. Can he help the team win the championship? Welcome to give your predictions in the comment section.