Lakers Face Unexpected Crisis as Deandre Ayton Sidelined Ahead of Crucial Clippers Showdown

The Lakers stirred things up Tuesday with a pair of big moves that caught my eye. First off, Deandre Ayton, their starting center, will unfortunately sit out the upcoming game against the Clippers due to a bruised right knee — that’s a tough blow for the squad, especially on such a high-profile night at Crypto.com Arena. But here’s the kicker: they’ve brought in Drew Timme, signing him to a two-way contract after his impressive stint with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he averaged a solid 25.5 points, 7.5 boards, and 4 assists over just six games. At 6-foot-10 with a Gonzaga pedigree, Timme’s addition is a clear signal the Lakers are ready to shake things up. Meanwhile, Christian Koloko has been waived, making room for this fresh blood. Jaxson Hayes will step up to start at center tonight, filling Ayton’s shoes on the hardwood. It’s a fascinating roster shuffle that shows the Lakers are maneuvering strategically as the season unfolds. LEARN MORE

The Lakers made two announcements Tuesday, saying that center Deandre Ayton was out for the game against the Clippers at Cyrpto.com Arena because of a bruised right knee and that they had signed forward Drew Timme to a two-way contract.

The team also announced that it had waived two-way center Christian Koloko.

Timme had played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and posted averages of 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25.5 minutes during six games.

The 6-10 Timme played his college basketball at Gonzaga.

“I talked to [Lakers president of basketball operations] Rob [Pelinka] and everyone yesterday, last night and they told me,” Timme said after the Lakers’ shootaround Tuesday. “I was just super excited. It’s super cool.”

Jaxson Hayes will start at center in place of Ayton in the NBA Cup game.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.