The Milwaukee Bucks have been active in free agency, re-signing several key pieces from last season while adding a former rival to their frontcourt.
The Bucks signed former Pacers big man Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract Tuesday, waiving Damian Lillard and stretching the remaining $113 million on his contract over the next five years. However, the team had also shown an interest in another center before signing Turner in a stunning move.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Bucks explored signing Deandre Ayton after his contract buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
The former No. 1 overall pick generated intrigue from several teams before ultimately signing a two-year, $16.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, which includes a player option for the second season.
MORE: Lakers land Deandre Ayton despite Knicks interest
The 26-year-old was a key piece in Phoenix’s NBA Finals run in 2021, where they lost in six games to the Bucks. Ayton was eventually dealt to Portland in September 2023 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Lillard to Milwaukee.
Ayton appeared in just 95 regular-season games for Portland during his two-year stint with the team, averaging 15.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals across 31.3 minutes per contest.
The Arizona product missed significant time due to injuries in Portland and will look to revitalize his career with the Lakers in 2025-26. He found success with Chris Paul facilitating the offense in Phoenix and will look to do the same with Luka Doncic and LeBron James in Los Angeles.
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