&quot: From maximum salary to middle class: Ayton cuts his salary by 16 million to join the Lakers, and the Purple and Gold Legion stages a realistic version of "The Road to Redemption"&quot

When news of the Trail Blazers buying out DeAndre Ayton came out, the entire league was speculating on the next stop for the 2018 No. 1 pick. On July 3, the Lakers signed Ayton with the last middle class exception. This two-year, 16.6 million contract is the most controversial signing this summer - the center who once received a maximum salary of 35.55 million is now joining the Purple Gold Legion at a "bad price".

According to insiders, Ayton voluntarily gave up $10 million in the buyout negotiations, and this "reverse pay" behavior is rare in the NBA. What is even more intriguing is that the Lakers completed the deal with just signing Laravia's remaining middle-class exception. This operation made fans jokingly say: "Aiton not only gets a basic salary, but also picks up the remaining broken silver from others. "

From the data level, the 25-year-old center was still able to contribute 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season. Compared with the Lakers' center history in recent years, this is the strongest configuration since Howard (7.5 points and 7.3 rebounds) in 2020. It is particularly worth noting that Ayton has a shooting percentage of 59.3% in his career, and this finishing ability is a very urgent offensive addition to the Lakers' penalty area.

But the other side of the coin is worrying: the Trail Blazers locker room has repeatedly exposed negative news such as Ayton's late training and stool breaking. The warning saying "You can perform poorly, but you can't be bad" on the office wall of the head coach Billups is generally considered by the outside world to be a shout at Ayton. What's even more ironic is that the 2018 Tanhua Doncic is receiving the maximum salary in the Lakers, while the No. 1 pick Ayton has become a middle-class player. This dislocation of identity will become the biggest highlight of the new season.

For Davis, this signing was a late Christmas gift. Since winning the championship in 2020, he has publicly expressed his hope to return to the familiar No. 4 position. Ayton's arrival not only liberated Thanime's offensive talent, but his 7-foot height and 228 pounds can also build a solid wall in the Lakers' penalty area. US media simulation data shows that when Ayton is on the court, the Lakers' defensive efficiency is expected to increase by 8.3 percentage points.

The Lakers management obviously is in the next big game: signing the No. 1 center who is still in his year of playing with the middle class will not only avoid long-term salary lockouts, but also set a two-year deadline for Ayton to "prove yourself". If this talented center forward can correct his attitude, the chemical reactions produced by combining with Zhan Mei may reshape the western landscape. After all, in the NBA, nothing is more exciting than the story of "The Prodigal Son".

As the training camp approached, all eyes were focused on Ayton. Can this center, once known as the "Next David Robinson" complete self-salvation at the Staples Center? Will the Purple Gold Legion's gamble bet be unexpectedly happy or will it repeat the Westbrook-like tragedy? The Lakers in the new season are destined to write a legend full of suspense.