Bahamian professional basketball player DeAndre Ayton has been a staple in the middle of the Los Angeles Lakers’ lineup this season, and was particularly strong over the weekend, turning in back-to-back 20-point games on Friday and Saturday.
The Bahamian big man had 20 points and 16 rebounds on Friday and 20 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday, as the Lakers won both games, improving to a 10-4 win/loss record in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
For the season, Ayton is averaging 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, while shooting a career-high 69.2 percent from the field. He’s leading the league in field goal percentage among those with at least 100 field goal attempts.
Ayton, 27, is playing some of the best basketball of his eight-year career, and he’s most excited about the hot start from the Lakers. At the moment, they’re fourth in the west, trailing just the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets.
Ayton said on Saturday night after their latest win that he’s happy with everything in his transition from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Lakers and is looking for them to continue to experience success. They host the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, tonight. That game will get underway at 10:30 p.m.
Earlier this month, Ayton missed a game against the Miami Heat with back spasms. Since then, he has recorded four 20-point games, including a season-high 29 points, and posted four double-doubles. He is averaging 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds on 75 percent shooting from the field in November.
On Friday, Ayton missed just one shot from the field, going 10-of-11 in a 118-104 win for the Lakers over the New Orleans Pelicans. The following night, he shot 9-for-13 from the field in a 119-95 win for the Lakers over the Milwaukee Bucks. Both wins came on the road as the Lakers ended a five-game road trip at 3-2.
“I’m just trying to spread my energy as much as possible,” said Ayton to reporters on Saturday. “Everyone has accepted me, so yeah, I’m happy. We just have to stay locked in, and continue playing the way we’re playing.”
Lakers’ Head Coach JJ Redick has offered nothing but high praise of Ayton’s work so far this season.
“He’s had a phenomenal start to the year,” said Redick to reporters. “He has embraced his teammates, he’s embracing his role, he’s sacrificed in terms of just being a screener and getting his guys open. He’s finding the spots, he’s just in a really comfortable rhythm right now.”
Redick has also praised Ayton for rim protection, and overall willingness to fit into the system.
The Bahamian big man continues to adjust. His rebounding numbers are down, as for the first time in his career, he is not averaging a double-double, but there is no doubt that he has been a force in the middle for the Lakers and is giving them an aggressive effort on both sides of the floor.
In his career, Ayton is averaging 16.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 59.3 percent from the field. The former number one overall draft pick out of the University of Arizona has played at least 30 minutes per game in nearly each of his eight seasons in the NBA.
The Lakers continue to play without 21-time All-NBA superstar forward LeBron James, who has been out all season with a sciatic nerve condition. He was recently reported to be a full participant in practice for the first time this season.
The Lakers played without superstar point guard Luka Dončić for a portion of the season, and missed other key players as well, but have pieced it together, pulling off critical wins and staying among the top teams in the west.
As for Ayton, the Bahamian seven-footer is on a “prove it” deal with the Lakers, looking to revitalize his career and demonstrate he is worth a high-value contract when he becomes a free agent again. He signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal in the offseason, which includes a player option for the second year (2026-27 season). Ayton forfeited about $10 million of a $35.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season in a buyout with the Blazers to join the Lakers. His ability to secure a larger contract in the future depends on his performance alongside stars like Dončić and James.
Dončić has returned to the lineup after missing a few games with a left finger sprain and lower leg contusion, and James is set for an imminent return.
As mentioned, the Lakers will take on the Jazz tonight. Following that, they will be off until Sunday, when they will face the Jazz again, playing on the road at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. They will then return home for four games before going on a six-game road trip.