Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer
Deandre Ayton knows he needs to rewrite his narrative.
He went from being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft to now being plagued by questions about his maturity and motor.
He went from referring to himself as “Domin-Ayton” during his introductory press conference with the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago to being waived by them this summer after they negotiated a contract buyout.
Now, the 26-year-old has joined a Los Angeles Lakers team in free agency that had a gaping hole at the center position, and, in order for them to have any chance of being competitive in the deep Western Conference, Ayton is going to need to consistently live up to his potential for the first time in his career.
Ayton says he has learned from his stints in Phoenix (2018-2023) and Portland (2023-2025), both of which were filled with moments of his dominance as a 7-footer who can patrol the rim and has a soft touch from midrange, but eventually overshadowed by doubts around his professionalism.
Ayton has continually vacillated between being engaged and aloof. He has both wowed and disappeared in big moments.
When the Suns made the Finals in 2021, there were seven playoff games in which he had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. But in the second half in Game 7 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals, former Suns coach Monty Wililams benched him. Similarly, in Portland, he frustrated Trail Blazers coach Chauncy Billups into benching him just two minutes into the second half of a game in December.
Ayton, who is the first player to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of his first seven seasons since Dwight Howard, knows he has a lot to prove.
He has heard the criticism and says he’s ready to use it as motivation as he attempts to amend his script alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
“It fuels me,” Ayton said. “It fuels me up completely. And it’s a different type of drive that I’ve been wanting to express for a long time. I think this is the perfect timing, here in the purple and gold. And it’s a platform that I cannot run from.”
Ayton is right.
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
He can’t run from the spotlight in Los Angeles, which is one of the brightest of the 30 teams in the league, something that has only increased since James, the face of the league, joined the Lakers in 2018.
Ayton had a completely different attitude during his introductory press conference with the Lakers on Tuesday than we’ve seen from him so far in his career.
He has gone from being labeled the league’s next superstar center when he joined Phoenix and thinking he was “the guy” in Portland to now openly acknowledging he’s not even sure if he’s part of a “Big Three” in Los Angeles.
“I leave that up to you guys,” Ayton said. “I’m just here to be a part of the puzzle. I’m here to fit in with Luka, JJ [Redick] and whatever Bron wants me to do. That’s about it.”
Ayton, whose Trail Blazers missed the postseason the last two years, pointed out how quickly “you can be forgotten” when you’re not on a winning team.
He believes the Lakers have a chance to win now. And he thinks he can help them get there by being a shot-blocker, setting strong screens and aggressively rolling to the rim.
He says he’s willing to take direction from James, a four-time champion. He says he’s thrilled about playing alongside Doncic, who was the No. 3 pick in his draft class, adding that he has heard he’s “super ripped” and sharing the court with him will feel like “a video game.”
Ayton, who averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season in just 40 games, said he has learned a lot over the last seven seasons.
When asked what his biggest takeaway was, he didn’t hesitate.
“True professionalism,” Ayton said. “I feel like I’ve just been absent for a little bit in this league. And hard work, I’ve just been trying to put in as much work as I possibly can. When I’m on the floor, I want to really just show the world and prove to everybody that I am a winner.”
The Lakers need a center.
And Ayton needs another chance to show who he’s capable of becoming.
“This is an opportunity that I won’t take for granted,” he said.
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