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The Lakers need Deandre Ayton, and that might be the problem originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a strong history of some of the best big men in NBA history sporting the Purple and Gold. The amount of their Hall of Fame big men could rival the Hall of Famers in their entirety for many teams.
George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and eventually Anthony Davis; an insane catalog of elite big men.
Although he's not a center, the Lakers made a trade for another future Hall of Famer last season in Luka Dončić. In his first full season with the team, the Lakers looked to surround him with sufficient talent to make a deep run.
One of the players they targeted and signed was former number one overall pick Deandre Ayton.
MORE: Los Angeles Lakers center named one of the most overrated players in NBA
Ayton certainly had his reasons for being available. Still, Los Angeles was prepared to overlook those issues in an attempt at giving him a fresh start alongside one of the game's greatest players today.
So far through nearly 60 games, not only are some of those same problems starting pop up again, but the Lakers are in a position where they legitimately need him.
The Lakers are stuck relying on a mentally weak Ayton
For being a former number one overall pick, Deandre Ayton has had a few too many stops thus far in his NBA career.
Despite all his talent, throughout his brief but tumultuous career, Ayton has been labeled a soft or mentally weak player with a low motor.
After overstaying his welcome in Phoenix, he eventually was traded to Portland in a three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. After two uneventful seasons riddled with injuries, Ayton accepted a buyout with the Trail Blazers to hit the market as a free agent.
He had one goal in mind with his free agency: to get to Los Angeles and revive his career alongside Luka Dončić.
On paper, it seemed like a great fit. Two former top-three overall picks from the 2018 draft were linking up under the bright lights of LA. This would be Ayton's chance to prove that, with the right partner, he could look like the dominant center everyone believed he would be coming into the league.
So far, and unfortunately for the Lakers, it seems that his old problems are yet again rearing their ugly heads. The even more unfortunate part for Los Angeles is that they really need him.
This season, when Deandre Ayton records 15+ points and 10+ rebounds, the Lakers are 13-1. He clearly has the ability to influence winning; it's just a matter of his willingness.
In ESPN's Dave McMenamin's latest article, even Lakers star Austin Reaves recognizes Ayton's ability by saying, "That guy right there is the X factor, he changes our ceiling."
The article also details just how mentally fragile Ayton really is by claiming that members of the Lakers training staff wrap his water bottle in tape and write "DA's Crunk Juice - Drink this to unleash the beast" on it in marker.
That is not something you should have to do for a professional athlete, let alone a former number one overall pick.
Another astonishing quote from the article was Ayton saying, "They're trying to make me Clint Capela - I'm not no Clint Capela" after a 20-10 performance. To be fair, prime Rockets Clint Capela would be a perfect fit on this Lakers team.
Deandre Ayton on his way to the locker room after the Lakers loss to the Magic this week, per @mcten
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) February 26, 2026
“They’re trying to make me Clint Capela, I’m not no Clint Capela!”
(https://t.co/eG578DJvY2) pic.twitter.com/2KeHyuuoBt
It's been reported over the course of the season that Los Angeles doesn't view Ayton as a long-term fit at the center position. Can you blame them?
If the Lakers have any hopes of making a deep run this season, the chances of that will unfortunately hinge on the will of a big man whose grip on reality is questionable at best.