Lakers' 2026 NBA Finals Odds Make Major Jump After Reported Deandre Ayton Signing

The former No. 1 overall pick is headed to Los Angeles.

Deandre Ayton is heading to the Lakers, who are +1400 to win the NBA Finals. | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers finally have a center.

Former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton is signing a two-year deal with Los Angeles, giving the team a massive boost to its frontcourt ahead of the 2025-26 season.

BREAKING: Deandre Ayton has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Between Portland and L.A., Ayton will earn $34 million next season. Agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports reached the deal with Lakers president Rob Pelinka. pic.twitter.com/FUeNAkN19K

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2025

Ayton, who was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason, signed a two-year deal with the Lakers with a player option for the second season.

It's a two-year, $16.6 million agreement between Deandre Ayton and Los Angeles, hitting the Lakers' books for 2025-26 and 2026-27. Player option in Year 2. https://t.co/VvAeVs72cD

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 2, 2025

Oddsmakers already have the Lakers trending upward in the futures market, as they moved from +1600 to +1400 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings Sportsbook. Ayton fills a major void for Los Angeles after the team benched center Jaxson Hayes in the first round of the playoffs in the 2024-25 season.

The Lakers may not be done, either, as they have some tradable contracts on the roster and a few first-round picks that they could dangle for improvements around Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

James opted into his player option earlier this offseason, and it'll be interesting to see how he views the Lakers' move to add Ayton in free agency.

Ayton has averaged a double-double in every season in his NBA career, but he did not fare well in Portland, as questions around his effort and availability persisted over a two-season stint. Now, he gets a fresh start with Doncic -- who was also in his draft class -- and a Lakers team that has title aspirations in the coming seasons.

The Lakers are seventh in the odds to win the NBA Finals and have the fifth-best odds amongst teams in the Western Conference.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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