The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers have more than one thing in common these days, and it is not just that both were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in this year's playoffs.
Deandre Ayton having been taken first overall by the Suns, and was most recently seen in the postseason for Los Angeles. It did not end well.
Ayton could be out of league after postseason woes
Suns fans will delight in telling the Lakers they told you so, but Ayton's effort was again lacking as it so often has been when his team needed him the most.
A disaster that was caught on camera perfectly during Game 3, with head coach JJ Redick desperately proclaiming that he couldn't play Ayton after giving up several offensive rebounds.
JJ Redick was DISGUSTED with Deandre Ayton after giving up multiple offensive rebounds and fouling.
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 10, 2026
JJ: "I can't play him" 😭💀
Ayton proceeds to give up ANOTHER offensive rebound and commits ANOTHER foul.
Announcers: “Ayton’s just standing there” 😩 pic.twitter.com/ZJepSr7613
The Lakers added Ayton after he was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers as a cost effective big who had made it all the way to the NBA Finals before.
Only that version of the 27-year-old (how is he still that young?) hasn't been seen since 2021, and this is one of the many reasons Phoenix actually won the trade when they ditched him for Jusuf Nurkic.
The knock on his game has long been that he doesn't care enough to do the little things and dirty work required from centers to win each night.
Ayton went some way to silencing the doubters during the regular season, putting up impressive numbers and saying all of the right things about not needing a lot of touches to help his team win.
But right when the Lakers needed him to again lean into that way of playing with LeBron continuing to fight off Father Time, Ayton was nowhere to be found.
Which puts him in a difficult situation ahead of next season, as the Lakers want to win now and Ayton clearly cannot help them do that.
A rebuilding roster would see having him as a waste of time and money, while a group on the up such as the Suns have no need for him either.
Perhaps if he'd shown he could be a veteran presence who could come off the bench for 20 minutes and produce, while also being great for younger teammates, it would be a different story.
But instead his flamed out on the biggest stage possible, despite being one of the few players who could compete with the Thunder's size. Hard to see where he goes from here.
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