It is generally agreed that Deandre Ayton had a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Lakers. While he was seen as arguably the best center on the free agent market last summer after the Portland Trail Blazers bought out his previous contract, there were plenty of games this season where he underperformed.
There were also plenty of games where Ayton showed plenty of fight defensively and on the boards, particularly in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets. In that series, he played physical and active defense on All-Star Alperen Sengun and devoured rebounds in bunches. Once the Lakers prevailed in six games, there was some thought that Ayton might opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer.
But he had an underwhelming second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder as Los Angeles got swept. In the mind of beat writer Jovan Buha, it’s why Ayton will have to exercise his player option for next season (h/t Fadeaway World).
“I think if we were recording this after the Rockets series, he would be more likely to opt out,” Buha said on the “Around the Beat” podcast. “I think after the Thunder series, he’s more likely to opt in. You could still make a case that, based on his regular season production, he was probably somewhere worth like $15 to $20 million. But after seeing the limitations in the playoffs, especially in that OKC series, it’s tough whether you’re the Lakers or any other team [to give him a long-term deal].”
Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, averaged 12.5 points on 8.3 shot attempts and eight rebounds a game, all of which were career lows, during the regular season. He put up 11.8 points and 10.8 boards a game in the first round of the playoffs, but those numbers went down to 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest in the second round, and he was benched for most of the fourth quarter of Game 3 versus the Thunder.
If Ayton opts in, L.A. could try to trade him for some sort of an upgrade, but his value around the NBA could be at an all-time low. Critics say he hasn’t expanded his offensive game at all since he came into the league out of the University of Arizona, and his rim protection leaves a lot to be desired.
The Lakers need an upgrade at the center position to become championship contenders, especially since Jaxson Hayes, who has virtually no offensive game and is very slender, is their backup 5. Their best and most realistic course of action, should Ayton opt in, may be to secure a better backup 5, especially considering they also need multiple two-way wings who are speedy and athletic.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers insider on why Deandre Ayton will likely stay put with L.A.