Deandre Ayton is excited to embark on his new chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers , signing a two-year $16 million deal over the summer. No doubt, a great opportunity for the seven-footer to return to the limelight after a disappointing showing with the Portland Trail Blazers .
Playing a pivotal role in the onboarding of Ayton was his 2018 draftmate and Lakers guard Luka Doncic . The two have maintained a relationship ever since and even share the same agent. According to reports, Doncic fully endorsed having Deandre as his pick-and-roll partner.
Bracing for a fresh start with the Purple and Gold, Ayton recently opened up about Doncic's team-building efforts, which included organizing a Porsche driving experience.
"I truly appreciate Luka for that. I've never done that before, where the star players really look out for the team like that….Seeing LeBron in a sports car pushing, I was like, 'Yo, he knows cars,'" revealed the former Phoenix Suns center.
The team-building exercise had each Lakers player choose between three different cars to test out on the tracks. Certainly, an exciting moment for car enthusiasts like Doncic and James. Luka's collaboration initiative even earned praise from Coach JJ Redick .
Entering his second year as head coach, Redick hopes to leave no stone unturned for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The former NBA guard turned coach believes in being straight to the point, be it wanting his players in championship shape or playing at a high pace on both ends of the floor. That said, JJ also wants his team to engage in fun activities along the course.
No surprises why Redick showed full support towards Doncic's Porsche driving experience.
"Like our habits and our communication and our shape, you don't become a team overnight. It's a long season and the more guys can do that off the court, I think the better team we'll be," said the Lakers coach, who had always been welcoming towards such initiatives.
Back in September, Gabe Vincent organized a team-bonding activity, which involved running dunes and playing Spikeball at Manhattan Beach. The Lakers bunch also makes sure to have occasional dinners together, especially when they are on the road.
The Lakers are surely looking ready to roll in the 2025-26 season, with the entire locker room having only one goal in mind.
GM Rob Pelinka did make some notable moves this offseason, especially with Ayton and Marcus Smart . Nevertheless, the biggest takeaway of the summer continues to be the physical transformation of Doncic, who appears to be in the best shape of his career.
After a disappointing exit in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, Coach Redick and the crew are looking to make a strong comeback. Though they still have LeBron James on the squad, one cannot expect the 40-year-old superstar to be the No. 1 option every night.
Hence, it will be interesting to see how the season pans out for the Purple and Gold, with a lot riding on Doncic. The former Dallas Mavericks star could also make a strong push for MVP this season. Luka is no doubt the perfect choice when it comes to carrying the baton forward, already showing impressive leadership skills with his team-bonding activities.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 10, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
