The Washington Wizards traded for Deandre Ayton to be their backup center. The early returns have been positive, but it is still preseason. The former number one overall pick has started two of the three contests. Things are rosy, but turmoil will come quickly in the regular season. With it the same issues will arrive that have plagued Ayton in his three previous homes.
The seven-footer wanted a bigger offensive role and felt disrespected by the Suns during his restricted free-agent talks. There were several issues in Phoenix, but they all boiled down to Ayton's desire for more, leading to inconsistency and effort problems. Those popped back up in Portland (subscription required) and ultimately forced Ayton to be cut. He landed in Los Angeles, but the Lakers dumped him after one season, despite DA opting into his player option and the team needing a backup center.
Ayton will have nights where he is virtually unplayable, and others where he looks dominant. There will be wild quotes with the big man desiring more touches, shots, and opportunities. It is the rollercoaster of rostering DA.
Deandre Ayton's effort and production will be inconsistent
Last season, Ayton had 14 games where he scored 20 or more points and ten contests with five or fewer. He grabbed double-digit rebounds 28 times and four or fewer in 14 games. There are dominant nights where he goes for 20 and 16, and others where the coaching staff has no choice but to bench the seven-footer.
Ayton will put up numbers. He averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 27.2 minutes per game for the Lakers. Those were the lowest scoring, rebounding, and playing time averages of his eight-year NBA career.
They will go down further in Washington. Ayton will come off the bench behind Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. That will make it easier for head coach Brian Keefe to pull the plug on his bad nights, but will create difficult decisions when DA is dominating.
The Wizards have to keep Ayton engaged. That means feeding him a few extra shots and convincing him to be fully bought in. It is easier said than done, but learning from Patrick Ewing may help Ayton reach a new level.
There will be questionable quotes from Deandre Ayton
Ayton has produced some baffling remarks over the years. He isn’t afraid to voice his opinions and desires to the media. It is refreshing for people covering the team, but it can create headaches. Zach Lowe asked this question in his new Substack.
“What is the over/under on the number of days before Deandre Ayton’s first oblivious quote?”
This includes things like sharing his DominAyton nickname and wanting a larger offensive role without realizing his limitations. The 28-year-old has done this for years. Wizards fans should expect it to happen at some point. Likely on a night where Ayton has just played well.
These moments circle back to his lack of self-awareness. Wanting a larger offensive role means taking away from someone else. The Wizards have a superstar big man and a blossoming one. Ayton isn’t playing over either, so he must buy into a backup role and avoid causing friction.
This is a young team looking to leap from rebuilding to contending. They don’t need the distractions or the chatter. It is exactly why Ayton needs to embrace being the backup center and avoid more touches.
Deandre Ayton is playing for his next contract
Things could go south quickly. Ayton opted in to an $8.1 million player option before the Wizards gave up Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks to acquire him. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. DA is playing for his next contract.
That could quickly become a problem if the Wizards are struggling. Ayton will want to put up numbers and land another massive payday. He may no longer be happy playing 20 minutes off the bench. His path to another contract is buying into his role and impacting winning, but convincing Ayton of that is easier said than done.
The 28-year-old should be in the middle of his prime, but fans have seen him in the NBA for eight years. There will be nights where Ayton needs to be subbed off quickly, and others where he looks dominant. The inconsistency can be maddening, but Washington has other options. They need to maximize Ayton’s production and avoid the distractions if they want to get back into contention.
The Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers have all given up on Deandre Ayton for similar reasons. The Suns and Lakers needed centers to pair with talented guards and still decided Ayton wasn’t the answer. It is his inconsistency that makes it hard to trust him. The Washington Wizards will quickly find out. Luckily, he is in a reserve role, so they can hide him more easily on off nights.
The Wizards just have to worry about Ayton staying bought into his role. It is easier said than done. Ayton hasn’t come off the bench since the bubble in 2020. Will he stay engaged if his minutes and numbers are down? So far, he has, but fans will quickly see the Ayton his other franchises know.
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