NBA executive calls Deandre Ayton's season with Lakers a 'disaster'
One NBA executive didn't mince words about how much of a disappointment Deandre Ayton was for the Lakers this season.
When the Los Angeles Lakers signed center Deandre Ayton to a two-year, $16. 6 million contract after the Portland Trail Blazers had bought out his previous contract last summer, some fans envisioned him blossoming and reaching new heights. While he had been solid and at times promising in his prior seven seasons, he had displayed unprofessional behavior and was frustrating to deal with at times.
There were definitely times this season when Ayton was an impactful player for the Lakers, particularly during the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets. In that series, he worked hard on the boards and played physically, intense positional defense on All-Star center Alperen Sengun. But all too often, he was seen as a disappointment, as he wasn't aggressive enough and seemed mentally checked out to plenty of fans.
Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports wrote in a recent article that Ayton may lose his job soon, one way or another (h/t Lakers Daily ). "Center Deandre Ayton has an $8. 1 million player option for next season, and the team is pretty eager to move on from him and get a big man who can better fit the style of play of star Luka Doncic," Deveney wrote.
"Ayton struggled mightily at times in the playoffs, and though he had bright spots through the season, he is not considered a candidate to come back–even if he opts in, look for him to be traded or at least replaced in the starting lineup. " In addition, one executive didn't mince words about how he assessed Ayton's year in Los Angeles. “It’s hard to see his time in that role as anything but a disaster,” one NBA executive said.