Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

New Lakers Player Directly Addresses Attitude Concerns

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie Deglaoui | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 6:46 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a first-round loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves last season despite being considered legitimate title contenders. Despite their early playoff exit, the Lakers still have a solid outlook for next season.

As Los Angeles progresses through their first offseason with Luka Doncic on the roster after acquiring him from the Dallas Mavericks in February, they have already been active in attempts to bolster their roster. Most notably, they signed former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton after the Portland Trail Blazers bought him out.

Though he has talent and fills a major need for the Lakers, there are some who are not happy with this move due to Ayton's reputation for having a bad attitude and work ethic. However, Ayton recently sent a direct message regarding these concerns ahead of his first season with the Lakers.

Though he has not fully lived up to his pre-draft hype, Ayton is still a solid NBA player. Additionally, he played a big role in the Phoenix Suns' NBA Finals appearance in 2021. However, he has had a difficult time replicating that same success since. Regardless, the Arizona alum says that he joined the Lakers to change that, and that he is "willing to do anything" to win ( h/t ESPN LA).

"When it comes to willingness, I’m willing to do anything for the team. The goal is winning, and that’s what slowed me down in the past," Ayton said about his attitude. "You haven’t seen that Finals version of me because the environments were focused on development, not winning. That’s why I’m here. I think I’m about to turn 27. It’s time for me to be back in the conversation about winning before this thing ends."

With Ayton on the roster, the Lakers now have two of the top three picks from the 2018 NBA Draft. As they look to re-establish themselves as legitimate championship threats, bringing Ayton on board could be huge for them. Whether it helps them achieve this goal or backfires in a major way remains to be seen and will be worth monitoring throughout the season.

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

More must-reads: