Former NBA player Markieff Morris was teammates with Luka Doncic for over two years, and he claims the Slovenian hasn’t always been the biggest fan of his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Deandre Ayton. On the latest episode of The Morris Code, Morris revealed Doncic didn’t like what he was seeing from Ayton when he was on the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I don’t think nobody taking Ayton,” Morris said when a fan suggested that the big man needs to be traded. “I was surprised the Lakers take him … I sat on the bench [with] Luka, whoever, and we watched Ayton play in Portland. And, some of the s*** he was doing, we couldn’t believe. And Luka was sitting right next to me. We looking at each other like, ‘What the f*** was that?’
“So I’m already in my head knowing when they got Ayton, oh that’s not gonna work,” Morris continued. “… First of all, he don’t play hard. He about getting the ball. That’s what he wanna do… He don’t wanna do the dirty work.”
Ayton has been criticized for his low motor for years. It is one of the reasons he didn’t end up being a success with the Phoenix Suns after they selected him with the first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Ayton was traded to the Trail Blazers in 2023, and those same issues were brought up during his time there as well. A team insider reported that his first months in Portland were defined by tardiness and tantrums. The stats looked nice, but there was little to no impact on the games.
A combination of all that we mentioned above and a huge contract (four-year, $133 million deal) was why the Trail Blazers could never really find a suitor for Ayton. They ultimately bought out the final year of his contract this past offseason to make him a free agent.
Ayton was seen as a bit of a risky signing for anyone, but the Lakers got him on a bargain. They signed him to a two-year, $16.6 million deal.
Most of the time, teams consult their superstars before signing players, and so, based on what Morris said, you’d think that Doncic still wouldn’t have been okay with getting Ayton. That’s not what was reported, though.
The Athletic had stated that Doncic had helped secure a commitment from Ayton. The five-time All-Star was said to be very much part of the recruiting process.
If that was indeed the case, then Doncic perhaps changed his opinion about Ayton by the time he hit free agency. It could also be that he either didn’t think the issues were severe enough or that he could help fix them.
Whatever the case may be, the Lakers are now on the Ayton rollercoaster. You get some impressive highs and some maddening lows.
We saw the good version of Ayton against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. The 27-year-old had 17 points (7-9 FG), 18 rebounds, and one assist in a 141-116 win. If he played this well on a consistent basis, he’d get a max contract. The consistency isn’t there, however. There were two games at the end of 2025 where Ayton had just two rebounds.
This is just who Ayton is at this point, and the Lakers reportedly do not have him in their long-term plans. You’d imagine they will be looking for a more consistent option.
For now, though, Ayton is going to be the Lakers’ starting center. We’ll see him in action next when they take on the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday at 10:30 PM ET.
