Deandre Ayton infamously complained that the Los Angeles Lakers were attempting to turn him into a Clint Capela type of center. Ayton deserves credit for buying in more after the fact than beforehand, but the Lakers' offseason activity has both vindicated him for his take and sent a message about what could've been.
By paying top dollar for Walker Kessler and signing Kevon Looney to be his backup, Los Angeles has made it clear that Ayton was right—and that he could've still been in the rotation had he embraced his role sooner.
Ayton turned in a solid season with the Lakers in 2025-26, averaging 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 offensive boards, and 1.0 block in 27.2 minutes per game. Unfortunately, he never seemed to be a natural fit in Los Angeles. That was seemingly due to conflicting ideologies.
While the Lakers seemed to want Ayton to emphasize rim protection, offensive rebounding, and hustle plays, the former No. 1 pick at times appeared disengaged when he wasn't featured on offense.
Ayton committed to a shift in ideology in mid-March, but it was arguably too little, too late. Perhaps we'll never know what could've transpired had a rush of injuries not derailed Los Angeles' ambitions, but the months of apparent conflict appeared to drive the Lakers to pursuing other options in free agency.
Having paid Kessler $130 million and gambled on Looney following an injury-plagued 2025-26 season, it's clear Los Angeles was willing to pay for the contributions it wanted from Ayton.
Yes, Lakers wanted a Clint Capela type at center—and were willing to pay
Perhaps Ayton wasn't going to do exactly what Kessler is able to, as they play rather different styles on both ends of the floor. What Kessler offers, however, is similar to what Capela was able to at his peak in the sense that he thrives as a rim protector, screen setter, and rebounder.
Through four seasons, Kessler boasts career averages of 13.2 rebounds, 4.8 offensive boards, and 3.4 blocks per 36 minutes. In 2025-26, Ayton checked in at 10.6, 3.4, and 1.3.
Beyond the numbers, Kessler's approach to contributing is to do the dirty work first and pursue offensive touches second. That's seemingly more in line with what Los Angeles wants from its big men than Ayton's attempts to be more involved on offense.
With ball-dominant guards in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the front office appears intent on finding supporting players who primarily excel away from the ball and on defense.
In turn, Ayton has been vindicated for expressing his belief that the Lakers wanted him to play more like Capela than himself. Unfortunately, he's also proven why he was traded instead of having the opportunity to decline his player option and re-sign for a lucrative figure: He simply wasn't playing the style that Los Angeles prefers at center.
Had Ayton bought in sooner, perhaps the Lakers would've paid similar money to re-sign him as they did for Kessler. Instead, he'll look for redemption in Washington.
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