Dec 26, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images

'They Gave Up on Him' – Los Angeles Lakers Center Gets Unfair Flak Over His Attitude, Claims Former NBA Journeyman

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 9:38 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers made the bold move of signing Deandre Ayton to a two-year contract after the Portland Trail Blazers bought him out of his contract. Playing for his third NBA team, the former No. 1 overall pick will play with a chip on his shoulder.

Many believe that Ayton has been an underachiever and a locker room cancer, considering he was drafted ahead of draft batchmate and current teammate Luka Doncic. However, former NBA forward Olden Polynice doesn’t see it that way for the Bahamian center.

“I mean, he’s a number one draft pick. They gave up on him. Phoenix started it off. Well, there was a reason why. I don’t care what it was. That’s a number one draft pick. But again, okay, you bring up a great point,” Polynice said about Ayton on the Fast Break podcast.

Nov 4, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

“If you draft the guy number one and for whatever reasons you didn’t cultivate him to make him not be what he ended up being, that’s on management. That’s on coaching. That’s on all those people. I risked the number one draft pick on you. Now you gave a number one draft pick talent to the Lakers,” he added.

Los Angeles Lakers News: Luka Doncic fully trusts the team’s front office, per source

Like Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic is all about winning an NBA championship for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Slovenian star reportedly trusts the front office to keep building a roster that can get it done.

Apr 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second half during game three of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

“He stresses every single day that his goal is to win a championship,” a source close to Doncic told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “He trusts the front office to do their part, and he trusts what they’re building.”

In his first 28 regular season games in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.6 steals on 43.8 percent shooting from the field.