Lakers’ 7-foot center instantly floated as trade candidate after franchise debut vs. Warriors | Sporting News

Lakers' Center Deandre Ayton Faces Criticism After Franchise Debut

The Los Angeles Lakers' 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night exposed flaws in their rotation, including the performance of newly-minted starting center Deandre Ayton.

Ayton, who signed a two-year, $16.2 million contract with the Lakers this summer, was criticized after his first regular season outing with the team.

Ayton signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers that includes a player option for the second year.

Some critics, like FanSided's Jason Reed, suggest that Ayton might not make it past the first season of his contract due to his underwhelming performance.

Autor's resume: Lakers' center Deandre Ayton faces criticism.

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Sporting News Sporting News — 2025-10-24