The Los Angeles Lakers landed a former No. 1 pick to fill their hole at center when they agreed to a deal with center Deandre Ayton on Tuesday. While Ayton has averaged a double-double for his entire NBA career, there are some clear warning signs about the newest Laker. Ayton landed a two-year deal worth $16.6M after giving back $10M of his $35.6M salary for 2025-26 from the Portland Trail Blazers to become a free agent. He certainly fills a need for the Lakers, but the team should temper their expectations, given how his two-year tenure in Portland went. According to a report by Jason Quick of The Athletic, Ayton was “unreliable on and off the court” and was “sometimes benched due to effort, leading to sideline and locker room tantrums.” Ayton played only 95 of a possible 164 games with the Blazers, but he often blew off the rehabilitation sessions to help him recover from injuries. In his first season in Portland, Ayton missed one game, allegedly because there was too much ice around his house. He was suspRead More
Lakers’ splash signing comes with major red flags
