Lakers projected lineup after Deandre Ayton finally gives L.A. a center

The NBA's long, national nightmare is over: The Los Angeles Lakers have finally found their center, reportedly signing DeAndre Ayton after the former Portland Trail Blazers big man cleared waivers early Wednesday evening.

Finding a legitimate interior presence to pair with Luka Dončić was the team's clear top priority entering the offseason. But missing out on potential targets like Myles Turner and Brook Lopez had everybody ready to start pushing the panic button — and turning their attention to Ayton, who was bought out of his contract at the start of free agency this week, as the last, best hope. Now the inevitable has come to pass, ensuring that the Lakers will at least get some sort of interior presence at the position that they lacked last year.

But does it give them enough? How will this addition transform L.A.'s lineup, and does it move the needle for them in the rugged Western Conference? Let's take a look at how the Lakers depth chart is shaping up now.

Projected Lakers lineup after signing DeAndre Ayton

On paper, at least, this roster looks far more complete than it did a few hours ago.

That starting five makes a lot of sense, with Dončić and James running the show and Reaves lurking as one of the league's best secondary creators with the ball in his hands. Plus, with Ayton in tow, this frontcourt now has some real length to it, with Hachimura really coming into his own as a wing defender in L.A. LaRavia was an intriguing long-term bet to replace the departed Dorian Finney-Smith, and getting a fully healthy season from Vanderbilt would help a ton.

But while Ayton undoubtedly fills the Lakers' biggest need, it's worth wondering whether he fills it in a way that, you know, actually makes sense. Dončić, James and Reaves should walk into an elite offense by default; from there, though, some awkward questions start to arise.

Is DeAndre Ayton the right fit for Lakers at center?

Ayton certainly looks the part of an ideal partner for Luka, a legitimate 7-footer with the sort of athleticism that got him drafted No. 1 overall out of Arizona. But turning that vision into reality has been the problem throughout his career: Ayton is all too frequently reluctant to use his physical gifts to exert himself in the paint on both ends of the court, and he's never been able to mentally lock in as a defensive anchor for an extended period of time.

We know what sort of big man Dončić likes to play with. He had it in Dallas, where Dereck Lively was the sort of springy, rim-running lob threat that threatened defenses vertically at one end and erased mistakes at the rim at the other. But that's just not who Ayton has ever been in his NBA career to date: He's a half-hearted screener, and his offensive game is much more midrange than it should be given his frame and leaping ability. He also cannot be counted on as a defensive anchor, which poses real problems for a team that will have Dončić and Reaves on the floor together a lot (and also needs to account for LeBron, who isn't what he used to be in that department as he enters his 40s).

The Lakers needed somebody with size, and Ayton still has potential waiting to be unlocked. But multiple teams have tried and failed, and while L.A. hopes things will be different this time around, there are reasons to be skeptical.