Deandre Ayton’s NBA career has been under the microscope since the moment he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2018. The expectations were immense, and while he’s had flashes of brilliance, his stints with the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers both ended with criticism that extended beyond the court.
Pundits and fans labeled him a “locker room cancer,” someone who couldn’t fit into team dynamics despite his talent. But according to former Clippers big man Olden Polynice, that narrative is unfair and it’s time to shift the blame elsewhere.
Speaking on Byron Scott’s Fast Break, Polynice argued that Ayton’s struggles had more to do with how his first two franchises handled him than with anything inherently toxic about his personality.
“I mean, he’s a number one draft pick. They gave up on him. Phoenix started it off. Well, there was a reason why. I don’t care what it was. That’s a number one draft pick. But again, okay, you bring up a great point.”
“If you draft the guy number one and for whatever reasons you didn’t cultivate him to make him not be what he ended up being, that’s on management. That’s on coaching. That’s on all those people. I risked the number one draft pick on you. Now you gave a number one draft pick talent to the Lakers.”
Polynice’s point reflects a broader truth in the NBA: player development is as much about environment as it is about individual willpower. Ayton entered Phoenix during a turbulent time, playing alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker but often being overshadowed by coaching changes and questions about his motor.
Even when the Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021, Ayton’s relationship with the team’s decision-makers reportedly soured, eventually leading to his exit. In Portland, the cycle repeated, with the Blazers’ rebuilding direction never providing him with a stable role.
Byron Scott, while sympathetic, offered a more balanced take. He admitted that teams may have mishandled Ayton, but he also stressed that the center has to take accountability for his career trajectory.
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Ayton this summer to a two-year, $16.2 million deal, addressing a glaring hole at center that opened when Anthony Davis was traded for Luka Doncic.
On paper, Ayton provides exactly what the Lakers need: size, rebounding, rim protection, and an interior scoring option to complement their new superstar duo. The question, as always, is whether he can buy into his role consistently.
Scott believes playing alongside veterans like LeBron will force Ayton to meet the moment. “You got a guy in LeBron that will demand that out of him, so he’s gonna have to bring his A game this year, but he definitely is a huge pickup for the Lakers this year, no doubt.”
For Ayton, this season represents more than a new contract, it’s a chance to rewrite his story. The “locker room cancer” tag may have followed him from Phoenix to Portland, but if Polynice is right, it was never entirely fair.
Now in Los Angeles, Ayton has the opportunity to prove that in the right setting, he can be part of a winning culture rather than a scapegoat.
