Deandre Ayton entered the NBA with a lot of expectations on his shoulders. The Los Angeles Lakers center received elite draft comparisons like that of David Robinson, DeMarcus Cousins, Joel Embiid, and others. Seven seasons later, that potential has never been tapped. That will need to change.
The 2018 NBA Draft class was loaded with future stars like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr. and others. Still, it was Ayton's stage on draft night, with his name being the first one called. Since then, the players who came after him have continued to pass him by.
Ayton arrived in Los Angeles at a crossroads in his career. The Portland Trail Blazers, much like the Phoenix Suns, decided the talent was not worth the headaches.
At 27 years old, Ayton has not missed the opportunity on reclaiming his career just yet. The Lakers center even hinted at fact in his introductory press conference in Los Angeles. If the Lakers want to believe in their upside as a contender, they will need Ayton to unlock his.
Career year will save Deandre Ayton and Lakers in 2025-26
At this stage, no one will be expecting Ayton to suddenly emerge as the best player from his draft class. Surpassing the elite names at the top of that list is simply not doable for the Lakers big man.
However, what should be doable is outperforming what has been on display thus far. Ayton has been a solid pro, but far from anything truly resembling that of a star. The opportunity to teeter on that status has never been more gift-wrapped for the former Arizona Wildcat.
Kevin O'Connor was certainly under the impression Ayton needed to thrive in Los Angeles. The NBA analyst spoke about the subject on a recent episode of his podcast for Yahoo! Sports.
O'Connor said, "The biggest swing piece on the Lakers is Deandre Ayton. ... It's a big 'prove it' year from him. ... They need Ayton to be his prime self for this team to really be truly in contending status."
The show host pointed out how much better of a defender Ayton was with the Phoenix Suns, which O'Connor considered his prime years. The great finishing ability was also highlighted from those days.
For the latter, there should be little to no concern. Chris Paul helped guide the way for Ayton in Phoenix. Doncic can do the same for him in Los Angeles.
Defensively is where the focus falls. The raw tools are there for Ayton to be what the Lakers need down low on that end. The mindset needs to come with.
There was truly no better situation out there for Ayton to completely revive his career than with the Lakers. For the sake of both sides, there will be a ton of mutual interest in making that happen during the 2025-26 NBA season.