We're only halfway through the 2025-26 season, yet it's already become clear that the Los Angeles Lakers view center Deandre Ayton as a stopgap option rather than a long-term solution. NBA insider Jake Fischer discussed via a Bleacher Report livestream that the Lakers are still expected to look for frontcourt upgrades "because they don't have their center of the future".
The fact that the Lakers, a team desperate for frontcourt help, are already viewing Ayton as not being the answer should make the Portland Trail Blazers feel that much better about their decision to buy him out this past summer.
Lakers' lack of interest in Deandre Ayton validates Blazers' decision to move on
The Phoenix Suns realized Ayton wasn't their long-term answer when they shipped him to Portland as part of the three-team blockbuster Damian Lillard deal. That ultimately worked out in Portland's favor as they were able to add building block Toumani Camara in the process. But in a sense, the Blazers got lucky as they were hoping Ayton would benefit from a change of scenery and be the focal point of that return. That wasn't the case, as the same flaws that ultimately led to Phoenix moving on were apparent in Portland.
The former No. 1 overall pick was undeniably talented, but showed multiple red flags throughout his two seasons with the Blazers. Ayton's lack of on-court awareness prevented him from making a significant impact as he was constantly in the wrong spot. That was most apparent on the defensive end, as Portland's lack of a true defensive anchor prevented them from bringing general manager Joe Cronin's vision to fruition.
Buying out Ayton is proving to be a savvy move, as not only did Portland get him to forfeit $10 million of his salary for this season, but it also cleared the starting path for Donovan Clingan, who has been absolutely thriving in that role.
Still, the most frustrating aspect of the "Deandre Ayton experience" -- and why Portland ultimately had to move on -- was that he let external circumstances dictate his on-court actions far too easily and too frequently. If his team wasn't winning, we'd see a different version of Ayton. If he wasn't getting the ball, we'd see a different version of Ayton. Even Lakers head coach JJ Redick recently pointed this out, saying he thought Ayton was "frustrated" because he wasn't getting the ball enough on offense.
A team's ceiling is significantly limited if it needs to force-feed Ayton the ball in order for him to be engaged and make a two-way impact. There are only a handful of centers in the modern NBA who deserve that amount of touches, and Ayton is not even close to being on that list.
The Lakers have one of the worst frontcourt rotations in the entire association. It was an issue that was exposed last postseason against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it remains a fatal flaw despite bringing in Ayton.
They've already realized this halfway through the season, and the fact that this is now the third team that wants to move on from Ayton proves that it was an Ayton problem all along -- not a Blazers problem.