New Year, New Team for Wildcats' Deandre Ayton

Former Arizona Wildcats power forward Deandre Ayton found a new home this offseason, signing a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 2, 2025.

Ayton signed the deal after the Portland Trail Blazers opted to buy out his contract. After exploring some trades, Portland decided to let him test the market.

In his last year with the Trail Blazers, Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 40 games played. It is his lowest stat line since the 2020-2021 season when he still played for the Phoenix Suns. in that year, he averaged 14.4 points, 10.5 points and 1.4 assists in 69 games played.

Ayton emphasized that being a part of a winning team is what he wanted. In the last two years, the Trail Blazers won 57 games combined while the Lakers won 50 games this year and secured the 3-seed in the Western Conference.

"The Portland Trail Blazers, they had a different route and, you know, me, I wanted to be in a winning situation," Ayton said in an introductory press conference. "When my agents and I finally got a chance at free agency just to finally evaluate, I felt like Lakers was the best position. You know, they want to win a championship right now and, you know, I want to win right now. I want to be a part of a winning legacy and just be around winners.

Fans of basketball speculate that a lack of effort was the reason why the former Phoenix Suns No. 1 pick didn't excel while in Portland.

While the assumption that no effort was given while with the Trail Blazers may be fair in a sense, a lingering calf injury could have also been a reason why Ayton did not seem to give his all while donning the black and red uniform.

Ayton stated that those who questioned his worl ethic and willingness to win will only make him want to play harder in the upcoming season.

“It fuels me, it fuels me up completely, and it’s a different type of drive that I’ve been wanting to express for a long time," Ayton said. "This is the perfect timing, here in the purple and gold. And it’s a platform that I cannot run from. I can show what I really am and just be around some greats to really emphasize that for me as well. It is a lot of fuel in me to prove to the whole world.”

Overall, Ayton acknowledges that when in the NBA, one must win games to stay relevant in a league filled with the best players around the world, something he did not do during the two years in Portland.

"The last two years was just a different route for me and I just learned a lot that, you know, when you don't win in this league, you could be forgotten," Ayton said. "I'm just glad that Laker Nation welcomed me with open arms."

What enticed Ayton to sign with the Lakers was the opportunity to win a championship right now. With all-star players in LA like Luka Doncic and Lebron James, attaining a center of Ayton's caliber could have been the missing piece to hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.

"They both average about nine assists over their career span and, you know, just the type of players they create with their teammates," Ayton said. "You know, they turn them into superstars and, you know they make them bigger than their roles and make them very important on the floor as well. Just seeing that and, you know, finally getting the chance to go in and experience that would be big for me and, you know, just getting me back to my full form of how I used to play."

Ayton has become a pick-and-roll machine during his 7-year career in the NBA. playing with two phenoms in Doncic and James would only elevate that part of his game.

"I like to let my ball handlers do what they do and, you know, they lead me to do the rest," Ayton said. "Luka is, he's black and white in the pick-and-roll. He puts so much pressure on the rim. You have to be willing to finish above the rim and just finish your rolls and just do your part. I think ive got a little cheat code, you know, playing with the play makers

With the 2025-2026 season approaching in October, Ayton has plenty of time to get acclimated with his new teammates in a place where he feels he can play to his full potential.

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