Deandre Ayton, the former Arizona big man, has exercised his player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers for a second year. Ayton will make $8.1 million in 2026-27.

Ayton’s Performance

In his first season with the Lakers, the 28-year-old Ayton averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds per game over 72 regular season games. Ayton’s scoring and rebounding averages were the lowest of his career.

Ayton played well in the Lakers’ NBA playoffs first round win over the Houston Rockets, posting three double-doubles but struggled in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While it was expected that Ayton would opt in to his player option, the Lakers may decide they’re better off trading him and finding a new starting center. Ayton’s salary puts him at good value for teams in need of a reliable big man.

Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, played his first five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, followed by two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

In his one season at Arizona (2017-18), Ayton earned Pac-12 Player of the Year and Consensus First Team All-American honors.

Original reporting: Arizona Desert Swarm (Tucson Sports) — read the source article.