Lakers urged to cut ties with $16 million former No. 1 overall pick deemed unplayable by JJ Redick

“There are others in which Ayton is just too indecisive with the ball or just fumbles it altogether on his way to the basket.“This is all said before mentioning the defensive lapses of the former first overall pick. Ayton is just not good enough on a regular basis at protecting the interior on defense.”

“Any team that features Doncic at the forefront requires as much with consistency. Ayton has a player option coming up for 2026-27. If the Lakers center does opt in, Rob Pelinka should move quickly to unload him elsewhere in a trade.”

The Lakers didn’t ask much from Ayton this season. Ayton was never going to be as impactful as former superstar forward Anthony Davis was in Los Angeles. However, Los Angeles expected the 27-year-old to be a viable two-way replacement whose effort would never have to be questioned on the hardwood.

Unfortunately, Ayton failed to live up to the billing, as Rovenchuk noted, causing fans to express their dissatisfaction with his unpredictable play.

It got to a point where Redick was caught telling his assistant that he ‘couldn’t play’ Ayton following an uninspiring defensive sequence from Ayton in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals (Ayton surrendered two defensive rebounds early in the fourth quarter).

It’s safe to say the Ayton’s season-long audition with the Lakers didn’t go smoothly, which would cause the franchise to adopt a ‘we must part ways by any means necessary’ approach this summer.

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