Deandre Ayton joined the Lakers on a two-year, $16.6 million contract this summer that has a player option in the second year. Therefore, effectively after this season, he becomes a free agent with the choice of staying with the same franchise. But guaranteed money is not always as simple as it sounds, especially in terms of what it signifies for a player’s career.
NBA legend Charles Barkley recently appeared on ESPN and explained why Ayton is the key to the Lakers’ performance in the upcoming regular season. Barkley seems to believe that Ayton has a massive burden on his shoulders. Even more than Luka Doncic and LeBron James. That is the burden of his impending free agency and how his performance in the regular season means a lot more to his career and future.
“We know what Luka and LeBron are going to do… The key is going to be DeAndre Ayton. He’s got to play well because he’s a free agent. He ran his way out of Phoenix and Portland because he wasn’t happy,” said Barkley.
“But you know, guys like him who are going to be a free agent, he’s got to play well. If he can’t play well with Luka and LeBron, he can’t play. I mean, if you can’t play well with those two guys as a big guy… all you’ve got to do is run the floor. You’re going to get layups and dunks or alleys on the other end,” said Barkley while explaining how easy it is going to be for the former No.1 overall pick to produce at a high level every night.
“So, it’s a great situation, but he’s going to have to play at a high level. He’s going to have to play good defense behind those guys. Because LeBron’s not a great defender anymore. Luka’s never been a great defender. And he’s going to make up for their rebounding because the Lakers always put a small team out there,” added Barkley in conclusion.
In my opinion, Barkley is right about the burden on Ayton’s shoulders and the leverage his performance could make for him going into free agency next year. Despite spending seven seasons in the league, the former No. 1 overall pick has averaged only 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds, while shooting 59% from the field and only 23% from beyond the arc, which is only above average but not elite in today’s NBA among bigs.
Here, Ayton essentially has three possible choices after this season. Either he opts out of his player option to sign an extension on a much emptier salary sheet, likely without LeBron James, next season. Therefore, if he plays considerably well like an All-Star level leap, then he could be looking at a massive extension next season. Ayton would likely not opt out if he plays well, considering that players have often regretted doing that in the past.
Alternatively, he could opt into his player option and wait out another season before becoming eligible for an even larger extension in 2027. But here’s what happens if he does not play well.
If he still opts into his player option, then he risks riding the season on the bench and eventually becoming a lower-valued asset in the league when he comes a free agent in 2027. And if he opts out to bet on himself after a bad season with the Lakers, then he risks his entire career based on a bad recent season.
Considering how recency bias works, that would not be the best position in which he could leverage a good amount of money for himself on another team. Therefore, a lot of pressure is on how Ayton performs in the season. Meanwhile, Doncic has already secured his extension with the Lakers, and LeBron James is at the tail-end of his career, where he still has a lot of leverage across the league.
Thus, Ayton has the most to lose and potentially the highest to gain on the basis of his performance in the coming season for the Lakers. And hence, Lakers fans should keep close tabs on Ayton’s performance as a gauging factor for the Lakers’ season.
