Luka Doncic's latest demand may force a Lakers veteran out

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic's latest demand may force a Lakers veteran out

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jun 26, 2026 11:57 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers rolled the dice on Deandre Ayton last offseason.

Given his history of inconsistent play, apparent lack of effort, and defensive limitations, that move was met with mixed reviews.

Fast forward to today, and it's become pretty clear that the former Phoenix Suns draft pick isn't cut out to be the Lakers' starting center, at least as currently constructed.

According to ESPN insider Dave McMenamin, Luka Doncic has requested that the Lakers upgrade the center position, making Ayton the odd man out.

Luka Doncic might force the Lakers to trade Deandre Ayton

“His feedback to the Lakers’ front office was ‘get me an A-List center, I need that to compete.’ Luka’s camp was also told to ‘wait until the summer of 2026,’ then we’re gonna show you what we mean for the future, and your future, as the face of our franchise,” McMenamin said.

"[Luka Doncic's] feedback to Lakers front office ... was 'get me an A-List center.' ... There's so much work to be done with this roster."

—@mcten on what could be next for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/ATJKYeMYq2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 25, 2026

Ayton's face-up game and lack of rim-protection or above-the-rim play make him an odd fit next to Doncic.

He still has an $8 million player option to return to the Lakers, but if he does, McMenamin believes that Doncic's demands will ultimately force the Lakers hand to trade Ayton:

“But there’s so much work to be done with this roster, starting with the center position,” the insider added. “We don’t know if Deandre Ayton’s gonna opt in to his deal, and if he does, that means Rob Pelinka needs to find a trade partner for Ayton.”

Per Basketball Reference, the former No. 1 pick averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on 67.1 percent from the floor for the Lakers last season.

Doncic needs someone who rolls hard to the rim and can clean the offensive glass, like the guys he had with the Dallas Mavericks when he led them to the NBA Finals.

Ayton's style of play has never been that, and after watching him struggle and fail to live up to the expectations for so long, it's hard to believe any other team will be willing to give him a long-term and lucrative deal.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

More must-reads: