Lakers Announce Deandre Ayton Development on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 8:56 PM ET

Deandre Ayton played his part for the Los Angeles Lakers in their last game. The 7-foot center logged 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting, six rebounds, an assist, one steal and one block in 32 minutes of action against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

The Lakers, however, couldn’t handle LaMelo Ball and Co. The Hornets secured a big win at Crypto.com Arena, 135-117, handing L.A. its fourth loss in the last five games.

The Lakers will look to bounce back on Saturday when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on the road at Moda Center. It will be an opportunity for Ayton to face his former team.

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Ayton spent the last two seasons with the Blazers before signing with the Lakers in the offseason. The Blazers bought out Ayton’s contract after two years with the team, which allowed him to join LeBron James and Luka Doncic in L.A.

Ayton, however, might not get a chance to face his former team on Saturday. On Friday, the Lakers announced via the official injury report that Ayton has been listed as questionable to play against the Blazers due to a sore left knee.

The silver lining here is that Ayton’s injury does not appear to be serious. It’s also possible that the Lakers are holding out their starting center for the front end of a back-to-back set. L.A. plays again on Sunday in a home game against the Toronto Raptors.

Apart from Ayton, Doncic has also been added to the Lakers’ injury report. Unfortunately, the five-time All-Star will not play against Portland. The Lakers have already ruled Doncic out with a sore left groin. Doncic also sustained a back injury against the Hornets. He left the game in the third quarter but was able to return to close out the contest.

The Lakers enter Saturday’s matchup with a 24-15 record. As of writing, they are fifth in the Western Conference.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: