The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a pivotal crossroads with Deandre Ayton. The former first overall pick has until June 29 to decide if he wants to accept the $8.1 million player option on his contract for 2026-27. Whether Ayton does or does not, the Lakers should not be hurt either way.
Some LA fans may immediately be questioning how the team would really benefit from bringing back Ayton? The Lakers center was largely disappointing in the grand scheme of things. There is no future in which DominAyton can be viewed as the permanent solution at his spot. That much is true.
However, that is not where the idea of how Ayton can help the Lakers resides. Ayton opting in on his $8.1 million deal for 2026-27 would give Rob Pelinka and the front office an incredibly tradeable contract for the offseason retool.
The consensus is clear: Ayton should not be donning purple and gold next season. Whatever way the Lakers plan for his exit should still yield a positive for the franchise in the long run.
If Deandre Ayton opts in, the Lakers have an easy contract to trade
Relative to the Lakers, Ayton has proven himself incapable of being a center for a team with aspirations of contending. That does not mean the 27-year-old is without value altogether.
The latter point may even give Ayton enough reason to believe he should opt out and test the open market. Dan Woike and Sam Amick certainly did not rule out that possibility when evaluating the coming future for the Lakers offseason.
If that is the case, Pelinka would simply get his money back and remove the $8.1 million cap hit off the books. However, would it really be wise for Ayton to test those waters after an uneven season under the biggest media spotlight in the NBA?
The guaranteed money is the safer bet. If the Lakers five-man is convinced of that being the case before his date to make a decision, Pelinka gets to add a trade chip to his arsenal.
There are only specific types of teams who would probably accept Ayton as a starting-caliber player at this stage. That would likely involve the recipient being either truly desperate to plug a hole at center, or — the more probable case — a rebuilding team with little desire to compete and win.
The latter is where one would anticipate Pelinka hunting for good use of Ayton's salary in a deal. It could be paired with another player, future draft capital, or both to search for better-suited role players heading back to Los Angeles.
One way or another, Lakers fans can rest assured that moving on from Ayton is highly probable. Him picking up his option does not guarantee a long-term stay, and long-term headaches, in Los Angeles.
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