Former NBA Champion Torches Deandre Ayton Over Lakers Situation

During the NBA offseason, one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ top priorities was upgrading the frontcourt with a center who could provide rim protection and be a consistent threat on offense.

Ultimately, the Lakers lucked out when the Portland Trail Blazers and former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton agreed to a buyout. Ayton didn’t waste much time as a free agent, as he wanted to sign with the Lakers, primarily due to the team’s needs in the paint.

Kendrick Perkins Rips Deandre Ayton for Lack of Effort

Although Ayton has been solid at times for the Lakers during the first half of the 2025-26 NBA season, questions have arisen about his effort, particularly on defense, where he has been sorely lacking alongside several teammates.

As someone who never holds back when it comes to criticizing players, Kendrick Perkins, who has made it his job at ESPN to be highly critical, recently called out Ayton for his disturbing lack of effort while on The Road Trippin’ podcast, via ClutchPoints’ X account.

“The [expletive] I’m witnessing from him right now is disturbing to watch him on the floor,” Perkins said of Ayton. “He does nothing athletically, he’s not going to lunge for basketballs, he’s not going to make the extra effort, like I just don’t get it. Sooner or later, if I’m beefing with 10 people and I got a problem with 10 people and 10 people got a problem with me, it ain’t the 10 people that’s the damn problem. Sooner or later, I got to go check myself.

“And just watching him, his body language, I could tell you this: We all played with LeBron James. Boy, I know the signs when LeBron is off your [expletive], you ain’t even got to tell me,” Perkins continued. “I know the signs and it’s getting to that point. He just doesn’t play with any damn force. It’s a damn shame.”

Coming into Saturday’s game on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, Ayton is averaging 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting a career-high 68.1 percent from the floor, which is the best field-goal percentage on the team and the second-best percent in the NBA behind Rudy Gobert (71.6%) of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even though Ayton is putting up decent numbers while efficiently shooting the basketball with 16 double-doubles to his credit so far this season, there’s no question that there has been a bit of an effort problem, which has bothered head coach JJ Redick on more than one occasion.

If he doesn’t pick it up in the effort department, it’s uncertain whether he’ll have a long-term future with the Lakers. Ayton signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles last summer at $16.6 million with a player option for next season.