Deandre Ayton now has everything he needs. A clean slate. A superstar point guard. A front office that believes in second chances. All he needs to do now is make sure to meet the moment. Ayton’s on a two-year deal with a player option after Year 1. It is a prove-it contract, and a reality check. But in this case, that might be the best thing for him. After years of trying to live up to No. 1 pick expectations, or being the face of the franchise, he now gets to settle into a much more focused role.
The Lakers already have stars.
Luka Doncic is the engine. LeBron James, even at 40, is still a leader and incredibly talented. Austin Reaves is an ascending piece. What they need now is a reliable, mobile big who can anchor defensively, clean up on the glass, and punish teams in the paint when the floor opens up. Luckily for Ayton he has all the tools to be that kind of player.
This is not theoretical. He has done it before. In Phoenix, when his role was defined and the ball was moving, Ayton was highly productive. With Chris Paul at point, he unlocked Ayton and now Doncic can do the same. He has averaged a double-double every year of his career, and he played a huge part in the Suns’ 2021 Finals run. The talent is there, he just needs to tap back into it.
The issue has always been consistency.
At points of his young career there is no doubt he struggled with consistency, especially in terms of showing hustle and effort. Too many games where he is shown on the floor, but his presence is just not felt. That kind of thing will not fly in L.A., not with Luka running pick-and-rolls and expecting accountability. Not with LeBron James watching.
This L.A fit could click
Luka makes life easy for bigs. He collapses defenses, drops perfect lobs, and gets teammates paid. Just ask the guys who have already played with him, especially when he was on the Mavs. Even with that being said, Ayton is more talented, more athletic, and more versatile than most of those other bigs. If he embraces the role, he could feast.
Let’s also not forget that the Lakers tried to get Luka a rim-running center last season in Mark Williams last season, but unfortunately that deal fell through. The Lakers know Luka is at his best with a good big on the floor so that trade being rescinded might just be a blessing in disguise for Ayton. At the end of the day he does not need to be “the guy” in L.A, he just needs to be the “right guy”.