Devin Booker once went to the NBA Finals with Deandre Ayton, but now he refuses to guarantee success for the Bahamian on the LA Lakers.
Heading into the summer, the Los Angeles Lakers knew they had to address their center depth. Their embarrassing playoff exit proved just how weak they were at that position.
As a result, the Lakers went and signed Deandre Ayton in the summer. The former #1 overall pick agreed to a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.
One of his biggest motivations to join the team was the personnel. Ayton wanted to play with Luka Doncic and find success in the NBA again.
But former All-Star teammate Devin Booker played coy when it came to answering questions about Ayton’s success with the Lakers.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesDevin Booker won’t give straight answer about Deandre Ayton expectations
Devin Booker spoke to reporters ahead of the Phoenix Suns’ preseason opener against the LA Lakers in Palm Springs.
When talking about what his former teammate, Deandre Ayton, can bring to the LA Lakers next season, Booker gave a vague response.
“I mean, I guess we’ll just have to see.”
Booker and Ayton played together from 2018 to 2023 and found success together. They even reached the NBA Finals in 2021.
However, Ayton’s performances took a massive dip in the 2022-23 NBA season, leading to him getting traded later on.
Devin Booker when asked what his former teammate, Deandre Ayton, cam bring to this year’s Lakers team: “I mean, I guess we’ll just have to see” pic.twitter.com/WgtwUnVCu0
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 3, 2025
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Deandre Ayton is the LA Lakers’ biggest wildcard
Heading into the new season, fans aren’t sure what to expect from Deandre Ayton. The Bahamian center has been underwhelming for the last few years of his career.
On the Portland Trail Blazers last season, Ayton averaged just 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. However, the context behind his numbers is important.
For starters, Ayton didn’t have a great point guard to set him up, with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons being more score-first point guards.
Secondly, the Trail Blazers were an uncompetitive side and weren’t trying to win many games. That can do a lot to unmotivate stars to perform at a high level.
Now that he’s back on a championship squad and playing alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Ayton can benefit from sharing the court with two of the smartest players in the league.