Lakers Champion Lands New Job in NBA Retirement originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly targeting Deandre Ayton to be their starting center from the first minute of free agency.

How will the the NBA offseason play out for the Warriors and Lakers? Will the NBA be expanding soon? Here's the latest NBA fan mailbag:

Now that the Lakers have signed Ayton, and re-signed Jaxson Hayes as the backup, an NBA insider has given an update on where things stand on a possible trade between the two teams. More news: LeBron James Reportedly Wanted to Join Mavericks, Team Up With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis

More than his statistical output, the 20-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James played with more confidence. During his matchup with Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg at the start of the Las Vegas Summer League, he defended with tenacity and showed the mindset that he wants to stop the best player on the court.

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to straddle the fence between building for a future with Luka Dončić and trying to win now with a core of Dončić and LeBron James. Also caught in the middle is 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht.

Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Ron Harper made a plea to NBA fans to enjoy the superstars from all eras instead of constantly comparing.

The Los Angeles Lakers, having already acquired Marcus Smart to bolster their defense, are now considering trading for Robert Williams III. Analyst Caleb Hightower suggests reuniting Smart with his former Celtics teammate to enhance the Lakers' interior presence.