Deandre Ayton Knows He Has a Smaller Role with the LA Lakers

Ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, Deandre Ayton finds himself playing under immense pressure for a long while. He is now with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he is the starting center on a team with Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Since those superstars are on his team, Ayton will be playing a smaller role than ever. He won't be as featured as in Portland and Phoenix, but he will still play a significant role. It won't be as the star scorer, but it will be more of a hard-working center on both ends of the floor.

Ayton's Admission About His New Role

In the NBA, being self-aware can go a long way. Despite his status as the number one overall pick from the 2018 Draft, Ayton has accepted that he will play a smaller role for the Lakers.

His status as a number one selection has hurt his reputation, as he is remembered as a player picked over stars like Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Trae Young.

Now, he is playing alongside Doncic, which could be the key to his redemption. Despite all his faults, Ayton is a solid roll man in the pick-and-roll. During his time in Phoenix, he and Chris Paul were a formidable partnership. Ayton can roll to the rim well when he wants to, and he can also reliably hit a mid-range shot.

Since he will be mostly in the pick-and-roll with Doncic, Ayton knows that will be the main part of his play style in LA.

"Trust those playmakers, and if you get more than two shots, that was how the game was supposed to go. JJ's trusting them to be our main and primary ball-handlers, and me being the big man in the game," Ayton said after a preseason game.

"I'm absorbing all of that. It would probably be hard not to touch the ball with the great playmakers, to be honest."

Ayton Could Be a Game-Changing Center for the Lakers

In recent seasons, the Lakers have struggled without a reliable center. Anthony Davis played in that role well, but he preferred the power forward position. That led to players like Jaxson Hayes getting the starter spot.

After the blockbuster trade that sent Davis to Dallas for Doncic, the Lakers were without a reliable big man. That issue was a constant thorn in the Lakers' side during the 2024-25 season.

Now that Ayton is with the Lakers, he has the opportunity to shine and become established. He played relatively well in Portland, but they were a developing team. In Phoenix, Ayton became a great player who helped in an NBA Finals run. Unfortunately, the league caught up to them, so he was shipped out.

With the Lakers, Ayton could prove he is a winning player. He won't get as many touches as he would like, but if he works hard, the results could follow.