The Los Angeles Lakers know that they need to replace Deandre Ayton to reach their ceiling as a team built around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The perfect solution? Drafting Michigan center Aday Mara.
Going to war with Deandre Ayton is like taking an airsoft gun into a battlefield; perhaps you bluff your way for a while, and it looks the part, but eventually, you're going to realize you need a better option. That doesn't mean spending a ton of resources, however; it just means the right kind of player to get the job done.
The Lakers must replace Ayton
Replacing Ayton is easier said than done, of course. The Lakers have been cycling through center options for years, at first to mollify Anthony Davis and his desire to play power forward, and over the past 13 months to give Doncic the ideal running mate and lob threat. They have either failed spectacularly or proven to be too expensive.
Armed with their own first-round pick this season, the Lakers have a shot to find a player who can fill the role and free up resources elsewhere -- either to secure a starter at the 5 and slot a rookie in as backup, or to upgrade elsewhere on the roster as needed.
It just so happens that a perfect prospect could be waiting for the Lakers when they come onto the clock late in the first round -- and he could solve all of their center problems at once.
The Lakers should draft Aday Mara
The Michigan Wolverines are a powerhouse college basketball team this season, spending much of the year ranked No. 1 and remaining within the inner circle of title contenders. The Wolverines were one of the five best defenses in the nation all year, and in the tournament have turned on the offense to the tune of 196 points in two games - a titanic number.
Their team is built through an unstoppable frontcourt trio, anchored in the middle by Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year Aday Mara. The 7'3" behemoth has both the size and timing to dominate the paint defensively, swatting 2.7 shots per game and deterring countless others from ever being attempted.
Far from a one-trick pony, Mara also has incredible touch on offense to score in the post or as the roll man. He is not an elite rebounder, but his size allows him to gather in a number of boards, and when he cleans the defensive glass, he is adept at passing ahead to kickstart transition offense.
He is averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 blocks, 6 rebounds and a whopping 5.5 assists per game through two tournament games, a fantastic and varied impact that should have Lakers scouts dying to see more. Mara and Michigan will continue their run in the Sweet 16 against the Alabama Crimson Tide, another chance for Mara to go off.
Mara > Ayton?
Deandre Ayton thinks he is too good a player to be catching lobs; Mara should have no such issues fitting into his ideal role with the Lakers. He and Doncic would thrive as partners, but he also could have instant chemistry with Reaves, initiating transition opportunities or rocking the pick-and-roll to perfection.
Mara is not a perfect center prospect, or he would be going in the Top 10. He will need to improve his movement in space and grow stronger on the glass. But for a player likely to be available in the last ten picks of the first round, he looks like the perfect player to land on the Lakers' roster.
If the Lakers keep the pick, Aday Mara looks like the perfect center to draft and replace the mercurial Deandre Ayton.