DeAndre Ayton’s career has been something of a whirlwind since he was drafted.
He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, going to the Phoenix Suns, and he was said to be a player who could instantly take over the league, someone who could be a franchise-saver.
While he showed some promise in his rookie season, being a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award, Ayton was suspended for the first 25 games of his sophomore year for failing a drug test, which tainted some people’s view of him.
Ayton played for the Suns for five seasons before he was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers, a team that has struggled over the past decade.
Despite putting up 16.7 points per game in his first season with them and 14.4 last year, Ayton made it clear that he didn’t want to play for them anymore, essentially forcing the team to buy out his contract.
He’s now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and could be a strong player for them, at least if analyst Jason McIntyre’s recent analysis comes to fruition.
As NBA Central pointed out on X, McIntyre indicated that Ayton is as talented as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid, but he’s been on the wrong team for a few years.
Jason McIntyre says Deandre Ayton is statistically in the same class as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid… he just didn’t want to be in Portland
(? @TheHerd )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 10, 2025
To McIntyre, Ayton’s motivation was his biggest problem, not his skill level.
This claim has since been disputed by other analysts and fans, who aren’t confident that Ayton can provide that kind of value in this league, but only time will tell what he’ll make of his career.
If there’s anywhere to resurrect his life in the NBA, it might be with the Lakers, as he’s surrounded by strong talent.
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