Deandre Ayton is one of many Los Angeles Lakers players who could become free agents this summer, but it appears he might not go down that route. Ayton has an $8.1 million player option for 2026-27, and Lakers insider Jovan Buha explains why he is more likely to opt in during an appearance on the Around The Beat podcast.
“I think if we were recording this after the Rockets series, he would be more likely to opt out,” Buha said. “I think after the Thunder series, he’s more likely to opt in. You could still make a case that, based on his regular season production, he was probably somewhere worth like $15 to $20 million. But after seeing the limitations in the playoffs, especially in that OKC series, it’s tough whether you’re the Lakers or any other team [to give him a long-term deal].”
Ayton’s 2025-26 season with the Lakers summed up why he is one of the most frustrating players in the NBA. There were stretches where he played some good basketball, but also some where he was downright terrible. What fluctuated the most was Ayton’s effort. His motor has always been questioned during his career, and he showed why.
We probably saw the best of Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, in the first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. The 27-year-old averaged 11.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game as the Lakers beat the Rockets 4-2.
Ayton notably played good defense on Rockets star Alperen Sengun and was getting showered with praise. During the series, he declared he was trying to change the narrative about him by dominating in the playoffs.
That series victory over the Rockets meant the Lakers set up a clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. They were massive underdogs against the Thunder, the defending champions, and got swept.
Now, there was no shame in getting brushed aside by that juggernaut, especially with the Lakers being without Luka Doncic. The likes of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura still managed to impress, but Ayton did not. He averaged 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in the series.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick even appeared to say that he can’t play Ayton during Game 3. Redick looked fed up with him.
Ayton’s stock has gone down again now, and Buha doesn’t see too many potential landing spots for him.
“I’ve also done this exercise,” Buha stated. “I’ve gone through every cap sheet. I’ve gone through every center rotation, and there’s a couple of situations that could make some sense. I don’t know, do the Clippers or the Warriors maybe want Deandre Ayton? And you could use part of your non-taxpayer MLE, or whatever exception they have at the time.
“Maybe, but for the most part, every team has either a set center or a developing center, and Deandre Ayton just doesn’t really fit that,” Buha continued. “So I do think the future for him is more as a backup, whether that’s with the Lakers or somewhere else. But as of right now, I would lean more toward him opting in.
“Again, maybe there’s some teams that are going to overlook the playoff limitations,” Buha added. “And be like, ‘Hey, we think he’d be an awesome backup for us.’ But I also think it depends on what he wants… I think he wants more money and a starting role. I think he still views himself as a starter.”
Buha pointed to the time when Ayton expressed frustration over the Lakers trying to turn him into Clint Capela. He thinks the big man views himself as good enough to make over $10 million a year.
“I just don’t think there’s like a clear team that would want him as a starter,” Buha said. “So I think it is a relatively limited market. There’s also some better centers on the market like [Walker] Kessler and [Jalen] Duren, and I think those guys are going to get the attention first and foremost. So, I think based on how he ended the season, he got benched in both Game 3 and Game 4 against the Thunder, I think it’s more likely that he opts in.”
The Lakers are reportedly looking for better center play, though. Even if Ayton, who had signed a two-year, $16.2 million deal in 2025, opts in, they might look to ship him out of town. This was really his last chance to dispel the narratives about him, and he failed.
