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Lakers’ Deandre Ayton during a game against the Golden State Warriors in October 2025
Backlash from last week’s comments still exists for the Los Angeles Lakers center, Deandre Ayton.
Heading into the Thursday, March 5, matchup between the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, Ayton received a strong message from the Miami Heat legend, Udonis Haslem. The former champion dished his thoughts on Ayton’s mentality.
Udonis Haslem’s Message To Deandre Ayton
GettyDeandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers
“To Deandre Ayton, we are talking about buying in. That is a loser mentality,” Haslem said, regarding Ayton’s “they’re trying to make me Clint Capela” remark. “If this is what your team needs from you to put them in a position to win a championship, then you have to buy in and play your role.”
Being a former No. 1 pick, Ayton entered the NBA with the mindset of becoming a star. When he was in his early days with the Phoenix Suns, Ayton was a go-to scorer for the organization. Since his time with the Portland Trail Blazers and now the star-studded Lakers, Ayton has dropped down the pecking order.
“I played with the Big Three,” Haslem said, referring to his Heat days.
“The other 12 of us did not have the role we wanted. The only three people that had the role that they wanted was them. Everybody else had to fill in a gap and play their role to get the win. You are no different, Deandre Ayton. Play your damn role and get your ring or not.”
“I played with the Big 3, the other 12 of us did not have the role we wanted.”
@ThisIsUD message to Deandre Ayton.
Being someone who played with LeBron James in Miami, Haslem clearly knows what kind of mindset Ayton has to have as the 2025-2026 season closes out, and the playoffs approach.
While Ayton might envision a bigger role for himself, he’ll need to get on the same page with the Lakers to help the team accomplish its ultimate goal this season.
In the 53 games leading up to Thursday’s action, Ayton has averaged 27.7 minutes as a starter. He makes 66% of his shots from the field, scoring 12.8 points per game.
For the first time in his career, Ayton isn’t averaging a double-double. He is coming down with 8.3 boards per game. That’s an area where the Lakers are likely asking for improvement, as Ayton has clearly proven to be better in that department in the past.
Heading into Thursday’s action, the Lakers are holding a 37-24 record. They rank sixth in the Western Conference and have an opportunity to get a leg up on Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Thursday night. It’s clear the Lakers have been strong enough to find themselves playoff-bound in the spring, but they haven’t clicked and convinced the league they are truly title contenders just yet.
More buy-in from role players like Ayton would certainly help the state of the team down the stretch, as the games will start counting for more soon. It’s unclear what version of Ayton the Lakers are going to get, but Udonis Haslem strongly encourages the former top pick to rewire his thought process and buy into the supporting role alongside guys like Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso
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