Lakers Notes: Ayton, Brooks, Robinson, Summer League

Former Lakers big man and longtime radio analyst Mychal Thompson thinks fellow Bahamian Deandre Ayton will be the “perfect center” for Los Angeles, he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.

Still, Thompson readily acknowledges that Ayton has “underachieved” to this point in his career and says it’s up to the 26-year-old to show he can consistently play at a high level.

“They’re not wrong to say, ‘Show me.’” Thompson said of skeptical fans. “I don’t blame them for saying that because (Ayton has) shown glimpses of how good he can be. He’s an All-Star talent, but he has to do it over an 82-game schedule and do it consistently. So I don’t blame people for being a little skeptical about him. But I have faith in him. I know he’s going to prove to everybody how good he is.”

Here are a few more notes on the Lakers:

• In addition to star guard Luka Doncic, assistant coach Scott Brooks is believed to have advocated for the Lakers to sign Ayton, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). Brooks coached Ayton for one season in Portland. Stein also hears that Ayton requested the buyout he agreed to with the Trail Blazers.
• The Lakers are hiring Justin Robinson as a player development coach, Duke’s men’s basketball program announced (via Twitter). Robinson spent five seasons at Duke as a player, finishing out his career in 2019/20. The 28-year-old played three professional seasons in Montenegro and Israel before returning to Duke as a coach — his title was director of player development — in November 2023. Lakers head coach JJ Redick is a former Blue Devil, so he’s undoubtedly familiar with Robinson, who is the son of Hall of Famer David Robinson.
• Former Laker Cole Swider and ex-Bulls guard DJ Steward were standout performers in the Lakers’ first summer league game on Saturday, a loss to Golden State at the California Classic. Micheel Alharazy of The Los Angeles Times has the story and the quotes.