It's hard not to overreact to one preseason game, but the Los Angeles Lakers should still be concerned that newcomer Deandre Ayton recorded a total of one point in their 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Ayton finished the game with just one point to go along with eight rebounds, two blocks, and four turnovers, in 18 minutes of play. He didn't make a single field goal attempt and seemed to struggle with the Lakers' lack of playmaking, as neither LeBron James nor Luka Doncic suited up for this contest.
Los Angeles went big with Austin Reaves as their primary playmaker, and it exploited Ayton's weakness as a center who heavily relies on others to be set up for success. That may not be as much of a problem when he plays with James and Doncic, two of the best passers in NBA history. However, it does prove that Portland was right to move on from their former starting center.
Blazers moved on from Deandre Ayton at the perfect time
Ayton has the talent of a starting-level center, but his NBA journey has been relatively rocky as a former No. 1 overall pick. He didn't leave Phoenix on the best of terms, which was apparent in Devin Booker's comments heading into the matchup.
Devin Booker when asked what his former teammate, Deandre Ayton, cam bring to this year’s Lakers team: “I mean, I guess we’ll just have to see” pic.twitter.com/WgtwUnVCu0
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 3, 2025
Portland acquired Ayton in part of the blockbuster Damian Lillard deal, hoping that the former No. 1 overall pick would reach his ceiling and benefit from a change of scenery. That wasn't the case, as the Blazers quickly found out those frustrations weren't exclusive to Phoenix.
Ayton is coming off arguably the worst season of his career with the Blazers, in which he averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 57/19/67 shooting splits. He had multiple instances in which he gave up on being part of the rebuild. Head coach Chauncey Billups benched Ayton just two minutes into the second half of Portland's 42-point blowout loss to the Utah Jazz, among all teams. After the game, Billups explained that he benched Ayton because he "didn't like his spirit."
Ayton has said that he's excited about his new opportunity with the Lakers, finally playing "somewhere where it counts now," taking a not-so-subtle jab at the Blazers. But this preseason game is a perfect summary of the Ayton experience.
His raw talent and draft pedigree trick many into believing that, if Ayton doesn't reach his upside, it's because of his environment. However, the reality of the situation is that Ayton has already had plenty of opportunities to win in a starting situation -- he was literally in the Finals with the Suns, who still wanted to move on from him after that run.
Deandre Ayton after recording two blocks but only two shot attempts in his Lakers preseason debut: “I wanted to show the team I’m more committed on the defensive end, more than the offense … I’m not here for numbers. I’m just here for whatever the Lakers really want me to do” pic.twitter.com/eLFx3BovPY
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 4, 2025
This is a classic case of Ayton underperforming yet telling everyone what they want to hear. That quote all sounds great in theory, but it's hard to justify taking a team-first and whatever it takes to win approach when the Lakers were blown out by 22.
Ayton may be an entirely different player with the playmaking of Doncic and James. Committing to the defensive end is also what the Lakers need out of him with a fully healthy roster. That said, with his contract set to expire, Portland was wise to let some other team worry about how to best optimize his situation.