After being bought by the Portland Trail Blazers during this past summer, former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton became an unrestricted free agent and was able to sign with any team that showed interest, which turned out to be the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Lakers, as bringing in Ayton addressed the team’s biggest need in the frontcourt. However, it remained uncertain what version of Ayton the Lakers would be getting.
Lakers’ Deandre Ayton is Pure Comedy
After the first 23 games of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Lakers appear to have gotten a steal with Ayton, as he has been better than advertised while also providing some comedy whenever he’s in front of a microphone.
Following Lakers practice on Tuesday, Ayton spoke to the media and reacted to becoming the first Lakers starter to record a double-double without missing a shot, going 7-for-7 from the floor, and also having zero turnovers, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“I can to do way more than that. … That’s mediocre to me. … 14 and 12 ain’t nothing to me. … That’s a mandatory thing to do for this team.” – Deandre Ayton after becoming the 1st LAL starter ever to have a double-double while not missing a shot (7-of-7) and zero turnovers. pic.twitter.com/EWHeR1AGeJ
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 9, 2025
“I can to do way more than that,” Ayton said. “That’s mediocre to me. … I don’t even know how to put it. It’s just one game. I’ve been across different numbers like that before. Fourteen and 12 ain’t nothing to me. That’s just normal regulation play. That’s my priority is to finish off a double-double. That’s a mandatory thing to do for this team.”
Along with shooting an incredible 70.6 percent from the field, which is second in the NBA behind Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ayton is averaging 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The Lakers headed into the NBA offseason with the goal of making a substantial upgrade at the center position, as Jaxson Hayes wasn’t cutting it toward the end of last season, despite creating some much-needed chemistry with superstar guard Luka Dončić.
Although Dončić and Austin Reaves have stolen the headlines in Los Angeles due to both players having career years thus far, Ayton has played at a high level while giving the Lakers exactly what they need in the frontcourt.
The real question now is whether Ayton can maintain this level of production while being a valuable asset on the floor for head coach JJ Redick and his coaching staff.
The next opportunity for Ayton to showcase his skills will be on Wednesday, when the Lakers host the upstart San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Cup quarterfinals showdown at Crypto.com Arena. The winner will advance to the semifinals, which will be played in Las Vegas, Nevada.
