Lost in the shuffle that has been a crazy NBA offseason is the fact that former Phoenix Suns' first overall pick has found himself a new home with the Washington Wizards.
The former Los Angeles Laker about to team up with the player he (kind of) replaced in Hollywood in Anthony Davis, and we all already know how this one is going to play out.
Ayton will let Wizards down when they need him most just like Suns
Allow us to take you on a trip into the not too distant future, one that ends with Wizards fans wanting their team to ditch the still somehow only just turned 28-years-old Ayton. Davis is going to start the season healthy, and alongside Trae Young the Wizards will race out to a nice record.
A top six spot in an extremely competitive Eastern Conference will look on the cards, and Ayton will play his part and say all of the right things in the process. He'll speak about finally being in the right situation, being cool coming off the bench and having no problem doing all of the dirty work required to win.
Then the wheels are going to fall off the whole project.
Davis will go down like he always does, meaning Ayton will have to step into a starting berth once more. Young will quickly discover that his new center is nowhere near the same level as Davis, and defensively the whole team is going to fall off a cliff.
Ayton will still have some decent nights from an output perspective, but it won't lead to wins and will get in the way of AJ Dybantsa's development.
Davis will then return and Washington will decide to cut Ayton's minutes even more than he was on prior to his teammate missing time, leading to an annoyed player and ultimately the two sides parting ways. Sound familiar?
Despite the Suns entering 2026-27 with a glaring size problem of their own, even they could never be convinced into taking Ayton back on a minimum deal. We've seen this movie before, and although the Lakers had higher expectations than the Wizards this coming season, they also had a pair of players who can make any big look great.
Ayton will no longer have LeBron James and Luka Doncic to call upon, and for as great a creator as Young is, he is not in their league at elevating talent around him. We'd love to tell you things are going to be different. They won't be.
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