Deandre Ayton's time with the Los Angeles Lakers has officially hit rock bottom. The former Portland Trail Blazers center has now been benched by JJ Redick down the stretch of three consecutive games. Each time, the Lakers have been better off because of it.
The most recent decision came in Los Angeles' 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls. Ayton played 22 minutes, recording six points and two rebounds while finishing with a -15. The Lakers won by 11. Ayton was a -15.
At this point, it shouldn't come as a surprise, as Ayton has been a combined -43 over the last three games, all of which have led to Redick's justifiable and even overdue benching decision.
Lakers' Deandre Ayton experiment has failed
Ayton's been particularly struggling as of late, with less than ten points in each of the last four games. But his lack of impact in LA has been a theme throughout the season. Despite their depleted frontcourt, the Lakers are better off without their starting center. It's gotten so bad to the point where Tyler Watts of Lake Show Life is calling for Lakers GM Rob Pelinka to trade Ayton "as soon as possible."
"The Lakers have a negative net rating in Deandre Ayton’s minutes this season and a positive one when he is on the bench. That is all fans need to know. They are seeing it with their own eyes, and things keep getting worse. Ayton is not their answer at the five, and LA should move as soon as possible," Watts wrote following the Lakers' win over the Bulls.
The Blazers are literally paying Ayton $25.6 million to not have him on their roster this season, with him forfeiting $10 million of his $35.6 million salary in a buyout agreement. Some Lakers fans were thrilled to see their team land Ayton for cheap, but Suns and Blazers fans knew the story. There was a reason he was that cheap: other teams around the league saw his inconsistent motor, lack of on-court awareness, and the unnecessary drama that comes with having him around.
This is now the third team that failed to make it work with Ayton. That's going to make it harder for the Lakers to trade him, even if they wanted to. It's also going to be difficult for Ayton to build back his reputation at this point. He threw shade at the Blazers by saying he's finally "somewhere where it counts" with the Lakers. Yet his on-court body language and lack of impact show he's still the same exact player, and that Portland was never the problem.
Ayton's stock has dipped since failing to reach expectations as a former No. 1 overall pick, but this has to be the lowest it's ever been. Portland willingly paid to not have him around, and now Los Angeles is left wondering how they ever let themselves get into this mess that seems to have no way out other than continuing to bench him.
The Lakers have one of the worst frontcourt rotations in the league, and if they're deciding they're better off without you, I'm not sure where your career goes from here.
This seems like a lost cause, and it's in the best interests of both parties to move on from the failed Deandre Ayton experiment.