Deandre Ayton Turns Heads with Admission About LeBron James After Joining Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers had a clear priority going into free agency: to find a rim-protecting, lob-threat center — and that's exactly what they got last week, signing 26-year-old and 2018 No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal. This week, to finalize the deal, Ayton arrived in Los Angeles, held his introductory press conference, and began giving interviews to local media, drawing considerable attention. On Wednesday, during an interview with ESPN LA, Ayton was asked whether he had heard from Lakers superstars Luka Doncic — who was drafted in the same class as Ayton — and LeBron James, who recently opted into the final year of his contract despite rumors he might explore other options this offseason.