The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2025–26 season hoping Deandre Ayton could stabilize their interior presence, but early impressions around the league suggest skepticism about his long-term fit.
Ayton, who joined the Lakers on a two-year, $16.6 million contract after a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, has averaged 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds through four games while shooting 62.9 percent from the field. Though efficient, league insiders believe Los Angeles is still searching for its future center.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote that Ayton “hasn’t exactly filled this team’s hole on the interior.” He added that the Lakers “should (and do) want more out of their 5 spot,” especially given the playmaking of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report echoed that sentiment, reporting that rival teams and agents view the Lakers as keeping their options open for next summer.
“From Walker Kessler to Jalen Duren to every other center that’s going to hit the open market next year, the fact that the Lakers are set to have cap space, agents and rival teams are looking at the Lakers as not having found their center of the future,” Fischer said.
Ayton’s start has been solid but inconsistent. His best performance came in Sacramento, when he posted 22 points and 15 rebounds, helping Los Angeles secure its second win of the season. Yet he has struggled to maintain defensive dominance, averaging just one block per game while adjusting to a new system under head coach JJ Redick.
The absence of LeBron James has also complicated Ayton’s integration. James missed the preseason and remains sidelined with sciatica, delaying the on-court chemistry between the Lakers’ stars. Doncic has appeared in only two games, further limiting the team’s full offensive flow.
Cap-wise, Los Angeles projects significant flexibility entering the 2026 offseason, holding potential cap space of more than $80 million if player options are declined. That financial room has already sparked speculation about the franchise targeting younger, rim-protecting centers who could fit alongside Doncic and Reaves in the long term.
Ayton, 27, holds a player option for the 2026–27 season worth $8.1 million. If he fails to convince the front office this year, the Lakers could look elsewhere for a permanent solution at the position, potentially testing the market for emerging bigs.
For now, Ayton remains the starting center, but his future in Los Angeles will depend on whether he can elevate his impact beyond efficient scoring and prove he can anchor a contending defense.
