The Lakers are quietly approaching a defining crossroads this season and, as Crickex Affiliate followers tracking league trends may sense, moving on from Deandre Ayton would no longer feel like a shock but rather a calculated basketball decision. League insiders widely believe replacing Ayton would not be difficult, because a long line of big men are eager for the chance to share the floor with Luka Doncic. From roster balance to tactical clarity, the timing of this debate is no coincidence.
At just 27, Ayton should be entering the prime years of his career, yet his development has slowly drifted into a dead end. As a former number one overall pick and a starting center on a Finals team, he was never viewed as an ordinary role player. Prior to this season, he maintained a double double average throughout his career, a level of consistency few big men can match. The last player to open his first seven seasons with that kind of production was Dwight Howard during his Orlando days, a comparison that once hinted at Ayton’s ceiling.
Ayton is also not a one dimensional finisher. Beyond standard interior play, he owns a reliable mid range jumper, an area where only elite centers like Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo truly rival him. Looking at the full sample this season, his numbers are not disastrous at all. He averages 13.4 points and 8.6 rebounds, a slight dip from last year, yet his 66 percent shooting marks a career high. On paper, and as Crickex Affiliate performance breakdowns often show, that efficiency suggests value.
Dig deeper, and the picture becomes more complicated. As a screen setter in pick and roll actions, Ayton has generated 140 points so far, second in the league behind Nikola Vucevic, while his screen assists help teammates score nine points per game, ranking fifth overall. Considering the Lakers acquired him on a modest one plus one deal averaging just over eight million per year, that output appears like a bargain. Still, numbers alone do not tell the full story.
Ayton’s journey from Phoenix to Portland and now into a trust crisis in Los Angeles hints at deeper issues. While his scoring output is respectable, his effort in movement and physical contests lags behind elite centers. He rarely explodes to the rim after setting a screen, nor does he consistently battle for every rebound. That reputation for being overly cautious has followed him throughout his career, including this season. Advanced defensive metrics reinforce the concern. With Ayton on the floor, the Lakers allow 116 points per 100 possessions, and his defensive BPM sits at minus 1.1, both career lows. Opponents even shoot slightly better against him, while backup Jaxson Hayes produces a far stronger defensive impact.
Recent games have only intensified scrutiny. Despite the Lakers going 3 and 1 over the last four outings with a plus 17 average margin, Ayton has struggled badly, averaging just 5.8 points and 6.5 rebounds on 34.4 percent shooting. His decline has tilted the balance of the Luka and LeBron partnership. Where pick and roll once offered two way options, the stars now lean toward self creation, especially Doncic, inviting heavier defensive pressure as opponents increasingly ignore Ayton.
For long term ambitions, the Lakers cannot afford to drain Doncic endlessly. He recently surpassed 2,000 career points with the team in just 65 games, the fastest in franchise history, ahead of legends like Chamberlain, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, and LeBron. He leads the league at 33.8 points per game and shares the top spot in shot attempts, pushing himself to 37 10 10 levels recently. As Crickex Affiliate observers of workload trends would argue, sustaining that pace across a long season is a risky bet.
Moving LeBron has always been floated in theory, but his no trade clause keeps that door shut. By contrast, reshaping the center position is far more realistic. Options such as Daniel Gafford, who understands Luka’s style from Dallas, or Nic Claxton, whose mobility and finishing suit the Lakers’ needs, offer clearer roles. In a league where fit often matters more than reputation, the Lakers may soon decide that parting with Ayton is the cleanest path forward.