Outside of getting Luka Doncic to stop whining at the refs and just focus on basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers' biggest problem is at center. Their solution was Deandre Ayton, but his lack of hustle and seeming inability to understand his role mean that he's likely gone in the offseason.
After the trade that shocked the world, the team and city LeBron James calls home suddenly found itself with a new superstar. The Dallas Mavericks sent generational talent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for the eternally injured Anthony Davis. It's a move that continues to boggle minds.
The problem for the Lakers was that they had a Davis-shaped hole at center, which is not easy to fill. He might spend a lot of time on the bench with injuries, but he's one of the best centers in the league when he's healthy. On top of that, Davis is as elite a defender as any team could want.
That sudden lack of rim protection and offensive acumen at the five has been a major issue in Los Angeles. The Lakers have tried to fix that by bringing in Deandre Ayton, though that move may have caused more problems than it has ever come close to solving.
The end of the Deandre Ayton era on the Lakers
If someone wanted to sum up Deandre Ayton's eight seasons in the NBA with two words, they would be "wasted potential." He was the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft for a reason. Plus, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2019. Ayton had what it took to succeed. Yet, he hasn't.
Deandre has played well enough to stay in the NBA, but not well enough to make a major mark on the league. Outside of the All-Rookie First Team, he has never received any other awards or honors from the NBA. Given his lackluster performance on the Lakers, it's easy to see why.
He's not exactly energetic or intense on the court. His offense is hit or miss, and his defense is often nonexistent. It's not just that he's lacking in comparison to Davis, either. Ayton is just not the elite center the Lakers need to be real contenders. The time is right for him to move on.
With LeBron likely gone from the Lakers at the end of the season, the front office has salary cap space to work with, some of which will be eaten up by Austin Reaves. This is their chance to find a better fit at the five than Ayton can provide. How that plays out is up to general manager Rob Pelinka.