The Lakers have recently acquired Deandre Ayton, following his contract buyout with the Blazers. They were looking to build a roster around their franchise cornerstone, Luka Doncic, and seem to have found a solid lob threat who is just a bit prone to injuries.
Doncic and Ayton’s connection goes back to the 2018 NBA Draft, where they were both drafted in the same class of the NBA. Ayton was the No. 1 pick in that class while Doncic was the No.5 pick who eventually got traded for the No. 3 pick Trae Young on draft night. Recently, a clip from their draft night went viral where Doncic and Ayton were conversing in an elevator about their love for the first-person shooting game, Fortnite.
Ayton: “I play Fortnite 24/7, bro. I don’t sleep at night. We’re going to play. I have my gear with me, all the time.”
Doncic: “What do you play on, PS4?”
Ayton: “PS”
Third person in video: “Do you play on Xbox or PS?”
Doncic: “PS”
Ayton: “I have both of them on hand… Once my PS4 is set up, I’ve packed my bag and everything, I’m good. Once that thing is set up, I’m straight.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:DLocSrwuyff
The duo laughed as Doncic exited the elevator a few seconds later. NBA fans saw this video and hilariously responded in the comments section.
“And 7 years later, they’ve accomplished just as much as one another,” said an NBA fan in the most-liked comment of the post. Ayton and Doncic have once been to the NBA Finals each separately. Ayton went with the Suns in 2021 and lost to the Bucks, while Doncic went in 2024 and lost to the Celtics. Therefore, fans found this comment very amusing.
“Bro, boutta be more worried about getting out of the storm instead of getting buckets for the team.”
“Bro already vibed. Ayton is going to be receiving unlimited lobs for sure.”
“Bron Ayton Luka overwatch stream incoming,” said a fan in reference to LeBron James’ history with streaming appearances as well. Doncic commonly plays Overwatch more than Fortnite, and hence, this trio would be a fantasy appearance for streamer-gaming fans.
“And this is why today’s NBA is garbage,” said a fan who felt the players were being unserious.
“Luka is the one guy that might be able to make Ayton look like an awesome big man.”
Therefore, it can be concluded that while some NBA fans seem to be objectively unimpressed with Ayton’s work ethic, a portion of Lakers’ fans are excited about the duo’s off-court chemistry-building activities could bring effective results for the duo on the court.
While fans were not particularly impressed with Doncic either, he has arguably accomplished more than Ayton individually. He has been a constant name in the MVP discussion for the regular season and has been named in the All-NBA First Team in five consecutive seasons since 2020. Doncic has averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in his career so far.
On the other hand, Deandre Ayton has averaged 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game across the seven seasons he has been in the NBA. After his rookie season, he has not been able to play 70+ games in the regular season even once, and has struggled with injuries in most seasons. That remains the Lakers’ primary concern about investing long-term in Ayton. Hence, they offered him a two-year deal, worth $16.6 million, while they prepare for the 2027 free agency in their long-term plans.
