Bahamian big man DeAndre Ayton and the Los Angeles Lakers were swept 4-0 by the top-seeded Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Western Conference Semifinals, losing game four 115-110 at [crypto.com](http://crypto.com) Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Monday.
While the Lakers will now look to retool their roster and potentially run it back next season, Ayton is set to make a decision on his player option for the 2026-27 season.
The Bahamian center spoke about his thought process regarding the player option during Monday’s postgame interview.
“I don’t know, I trust my agents, you know. That’s about it,” he said. “I really don’t think too much \[on\] that. That’s really out of my hands, but, you know, I love it here regardless, you know, the fans and everybody who have been around me, the coaching staff... they really treat me well and they treat me like family.”
Prior to the start of the season, Ayton was optimistic about getting a fresh start with a new team featuring a cadre of championship-caliber players.
He was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers after playing two seasons with the team and told reporters he was looking forward to making an impact in the purple and gold uniform with the Lakers.
However, the season proved to be inconsistent for Ayton at the center position.
He averaged 12.5 points, eight rebounds, and one block per game while shooting 67.1 percent from the field in a career-low 27.2 minutes per game.
Ayton’s points and rebounds averages were the lowest of his career, and it marked the first season in which he did not average a double-double since being drafted number one overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Bahamian center had some bright spots during the season, but, due to inconsistency, saw his minutes dwindle in favor of backup center Jaxson Hayes.
After two rounds of competition in the Western Conference playoffs, Ayton averaged 10 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.
He had some memorable performances in the Lakers’ first-round victory against the Houston Rockets but had a tough time against OKC.
In the final game of the series, Ayton finished with six points, three rebounds, and one assist in 21 minutes.
Hayes was more productive in the closeout game, contributing 18 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes.
As for the Lakers, the team ended the season with a 53-29 win/loss record, but desperately missed the services of all-star point guard Luka Dončić against the Thunder.
The team now has some big decisions to make this summer, with future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James set to become an unrestricted free agent.
It will be interesting to see whether Ayton remains with the Lakers or opts out of his current contract to test NBA free agency.