The Los Angeles Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, and his new franchise will quickly deal with the consistency issues that plagued his time in LA. Ayton had 14 20-point games and 13 20-point double-doubles in his lone season with the Lakers. He produced six or fewer points 14 times and had 12 games where he played under 20 minutes. Fans know that Ayton was virtually unplayable some nights.
The Lakers paid handsomely to sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler. They needed a rim protector at the five and wanted to give Luka Doncic the center he desired. The Lakers’ superstar is known for maximizing big men, which should give the Wizards even more concerns about Ayton.
Washington gave up two second-round draft picks to acquire Ayton on an expiring contract. They clearly want to get back into contention after trading for Trae Young and Anthony Davis. The Wizards got AD the center he desires, but they will soon find out that Ayton isn’t the answer.
Deandre Ayton’s inconsistency will hamper the Wizards like it did the Lakers
Ayton started all 72 games he played in last season, and head coach JJ Redick deserves credit for how he handled the situation. He wasn’t afraid to bench the seven-footer down the stretch of games, but kept him on board.
Ayton played his way off the Suns and Blazers, and attitude issues were a problem in both stops. The Lakers kept those mostly under wraps and even won a playoff series without Luka Doncic on the floor.
The Lakers were 5.9 points per 100 possessions better without Ayton in medium and high leverage situations last season. His lack of defense and rim protection were problems against the best teams. Ayton just didn’t always play with the energy and impact LA wanted. He let in too many easy buckets at the rim and failed to make his mark when the games mattered most.
The 28-year-old’s inconsistency bled over to the playoffs. He had three games where he scored 18 or more and three where he was under seven in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets. Ayton had just six points and five rebounds in Game 2, where he was limited to just 26.6 minutes because he didn’t have it. Ayton’s minutes were down in every game against the Thunder as OKC took advantage of his defensive issues.
It is maddening. The former number one overall pick has the talent and shows flashes of being DominAyton. On other nights, the only option is to glue him to the bench. The Lakers quickly learned their lesson in building around Luka and moved on.
Ayton is in his prime and on an expiring contract. He has every reason to show up and shine in the nation’s capital. Sadly, they will deal with the same issues that plagued the Lakers. It is just who Ayton is.
The Los Angeles Lakers had to upgrade at the five and were happy to get two second-round draft picks for Deandre Ayton. His inconsistency is the Washington Wizards’ problem now. Luckily, they have AD and Alex Sarr to turn to when Ayton is struggling. There will be moments, and Wizards fans will be frustrated. Lakers supporters will feel their pain and be thankful that they are no longer riding the Ayton rollercoaster.
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