Deandre Ayton was officially announced as a Lakers player on Sunday, prompting some positive reactions from their passionate fanbase.

The Los Angeles Lakers had one urgent area of need to address this offseason and they managed to do so in a big way (pun intended).

On Sunday, it was officially announced by the Lakers’ official account on X that they had brought in Deandre Ayton to be the team’s new starting center.

Ayton agreed with his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on a buyout, paving the way for the Lakers to bring him in on a two-year, $16.6 million contract (with a player option for the second season).

“OFFICIAL: Welcome to the Purple & Gold, Deandre,” the Lakers’ post reads.

Ayton has drawn mixed reviews from pundits and anonymous sources alike, but one thing’s for sure: his arrival allows the Lakers to field a starting-caliber center who averaged a double-double last season for such a cheap price. And Lakers fans, ever the loud bunch, celebrated the announcement of his addition on social media.

“To get a player like Ayton for what they gave him and he fits an exact need with our Playmakers, this was a great fit for the Lakers,” X user @EmpireJeffTV wrote.

“Ayton will feast! A solid 4th option with 2 god-tier playmakers not mentioning reaves ascend as a decent one. He just need to up his efforts and intensity. Hope he stays healthy,” @5kyvzz22jf furthered.

Lakers could not have done better than Deandre Ayton for the price

In today’s salary cap landscape, starting-caliber big men typically go for around $25-$30 million a season. For the Lakers to have gotten Ayton for a salary of just $8 million for the upcoming campaign is nothing short of a big win.

Ayton’s effort has been questioned, and there have been some worrying reports regarding his lack of discipline in terms of punctuality.

But this is a man who averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in a crowded Blazers center rotation, and he’s only 26 years old. And with him foregoing his Bird rights with this move to LA, he’s going to play with a huge chip on his shoulder, looking to prove himself as he plays for another huge contract.

“It’s crazy because two weeks ago, there was no way we could trade for Ayton with his huge salary. We blink and now he’s a Laker. Couldn’t had fathomed this 3 weeks ago. This is a huge win for the Lakers and all it cost us was DFS actually,” @Trone99 explained.

“Deandre Ayton being the 3rd/4th option behind Luka Bron Reaves Rui is the perfect situation, especially making 8 Mil this season from the Lakers. It’s a do or die situation if he wants another NBA contract. Time to get to work,” @L_apostrophe_z added.