The Los Angeles Lakers' only option is to trade Deandre Ayton as things keep getting worse. He had just six points and two rebounds as he was benched down the stretch for the third straight game on Monday night in Chicago. The Lakers were outscored by 15 points with the starting big man on the floor in a game where they won by 11. Benching Ayton isn’t working, so all that is left to do is move on.
The Lakers signed Ayton to a two-year, $16.2 million contract in the offseason after he was bought out by the Blazers. The big man has an $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season. There is no questioning his talent, but they need him to be more engaged and impactful. Ayton isn’t protecting the rim or rebounding. The Lakers hoped getting him more involved in the offense would help, but it hasn’t.
This continues a trend for the former number one overall draft pick. He wore out his welcome in Phoenix and Portland before arriving in Los Angeles. Nobody is surprised things aren’t working with the Lakers. Everyone hoped returning to a contender and playing off arguably the best pick-and-roll creator in the world would do the trick, but it is the same disappointing story.
Lakers must trade Deandre Ayton before the deadline
LA has been outscored by 43 points in Ayton’s 67 minutes over the last three games. They have two wins over that stretch because head coach JJ Redick was wise enough to bench him. The Lakers' defense improves dramatically when Ayton is off the floor, but it leaves them without a rim protector.
Jaxson Hayes is the only other center on the Lakers roster. Luka Doncic has made him look like a viable option, but fans found out that won’t work in the playoffs. Coach Redick is forced to go small beyond that. LeBron James or Rui Hachimura can play small ball five for stretches, but Los Angeles doesn’t want that to be their only option when the games matter most.
The Lakers must trade Ayton and their expiring contracts for a center upgrade. DA came to LA to be a starter and won’t be happy coming off the bench. He must go if they can find an upgrade. It is easier said than done, as the Lakers only have one tradeable first-round draft pick.
Rob Pelinka should be searching the market. The roster has multiple holes, but center is quickly becoming the biggest. Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, and Rui Hachimura give them options on the wings around their three stars. The Lakers have zero answers at the five, so this is obviously a problem, and it is made worse by their lack of perimeter defense.
The Lakers have a negative net rating in Deandre Ayton’s minutes this season and a positive one when he is on the bench. That is all fans need to know. They are seeing it with their own eyes, and things keep getting worse. Ayton is not their answer at the five, and LA should move as soon as possible.
The Los Angeles Lakers must trade Deandre Ayton before the Feb. 5 deadline if they want to be a serious title contender. It is the only option left after this abysmal stretch. Things will only get worse from here, so stay tuned to see how the front office responds. Fans hope Pelinka admits his mistake and moves on.