Conversely, while James' future in L.A. still remains up in the air, it's expected that Doncic will re-sign with the team, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. The Lakers can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million extension on Aug. 2, or he can sign a three-year, $165 million extension with a 2028 player option.

Immediately after the news broke, Lakers icon Magic Johnson couldn't wait to share his opinions about the organization's move. Instead of going the more traditional 280-character tweeting route, Johnson hilariously screenshotted an Instagram post from Bleacher Report that showed Ayton in a Lakers jersey alongside Doncic and LeBron James.

The Los Angeles Lakers desperately needed a center this offseason. And after Brook Lopez and Myles Turner went elsewhere, signing the recently bought-out Deandre Ayton felt like the only way to salvage an otherwise quiet offseason.