Lakers Add Former Top Draft Pick Deandre Ayton Who's Rumored To Have Behavior Issues

The Los Angeles Lakers made a free-agency move, which means it’s either ‘the best’ or ‘terrible.’

On Wednesday, LA found its long-awaited center after signing Deandre Ayton, a former first-overall pick, to a team-friendly two-year, $16 million deal with the Lakers. 

Ayton went first overall in the same draft (2018) that saw Luka Doncic, now a Laker, go third overall.

RELATED: Portland Trail Blazers' Deandre Ayton Misses Game Due To 'Icy Conditions' That Stranded Him At Home

For Lakers fans, the move was a long time coming as the roster showed a real lack of size for the center position during their recently disastrous first-round exit.

Ayton averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game with the Phoenix Suns from 2018 to 2023 and 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2023 to 2025. 

On paper, Ayton seems like a great addition to the Lakers, who were previously trying to shop for ex-Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams before the NBA’s trade deadline. Williams reportedly failed his physical and the trade deal fell apart.

Deandre Ayton of the Portland Trail Blazers. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The advantages with Ayton include still being young (26) and providing the Lakers with a 7-foot frame after relying on smaller bodies to fill the role for most years under general manager Rob Pelinka (excluding Anthony Davis, who had major injury problems). 

However, Portland agreed to a buyout with Ayton on June 29 to make him a free agent. 

Then came the reports that the Blazers cut bait with Ayton over his "bad habits." The Athletic noted, "tardiness to team flights and practices, according to a team source. 

"The skipping of rehabilitation appointments. Fans saw him slam chairs when he was taken out of games. And a team source said there were tantrums in the locker room when he was sidelined for poor effort."

Ayton infamously missed a game early in his tenure with the Trail Blazers (Jan. 2024) over "icy conditions" that left him stranded at home.

Ayton’s stints of ‘behavior issues’ and outright lack of effort prompt concerns that he’ll be the one to crack this LA team and dive head-first into a rebuild as soon as LeBron James, approaching age 41, retires. 

Now he’s heading to Los Angeles with gargantuan hopes of helping LeBron win his final ring(s) with less than two years of career left in the veteran’s tank.

It’s not the worst move the Lakers could have pulled off in free agency, but it’s certainly not the best.

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