‘Tired Of Being Odd Man Out’

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 26: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Deandre Ayton has been the lingering concern for the Los Angeles Lakers all season. While he plays well, the team experiences success, but when he doesn’t, it becomes a major issue for a group that hopes to make a postseason run this year.

However, while there have been major questions about both Ayton’s performance, buy-in, and future with the Lakers, the center now believes he knows his role on the team.

In an interview with Dan Woike of The Athletic, Los Angeles’ key offseason addition says he is ‘110%’ bought in to what his role is on the Lakers this year.

“And I’ve completely …I bought in. Completely, like 110 percent. I hope you see the work,” he said.

Deandre Ayton Drops Major Lakers Quote

While Ayton has had some solid performances for the Lakers, he hasn’t consistently been what the team had hoped for when they brought him in on an $8.1 million contract this season.

He’s come with some emotional outbursts and instability, along with not being the defensive anchor and pick-and-roll lob threat with Luka Doncic that would make this Lakers team a lot more dangerous than they currently are. 

But still, after the ups and downs of the third six months of the regular season, Ayton says he now knows his role on the team, one that involves him being behind Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James in the pecking order. 

“Everybody’s been completely locked in, and I’m just tired of being the odd man out. I think I told the media the other day, it’s just me finally catching up. Team’s been there; it’s just been me,” he said to Woike. “I just started looking in the mirror and said, ‘Yo bro,… you’re not that guy. You don’t need to be on this team doing that at all. This team, you came here to be the effort guy.’” 

On the season, Ayton is averaging 12.5 points and 8.4 rebounds on 66.7% shooting. While those are solid numbers, he’s liable to either drop 20 points and 15 rebounds, or something close to eight points and five rebounds in a losing effort.

The inconsistency has been clear all season, but now that he fully understands his new role, Ayton thinks the performances will become steadier in the most important stretch of the season.

Deandre Ayton On His Lakers Role For Rest Of This Season

In the Lakers’ latest win against the Houston Rockets, Ayton finished the night with seven points, 11 rebounds, and one block in 27 minutes on 3/6 shooting from the field. As has been the case for much of the season, Jaxson Hayes was sent into the game to replace him on a few occasions. 

But as he recalled from his time on the bench, Los Angeles’ center finally realized what he needed to change to be an impactful player on this Lakers team. 

“I’m telling you, once I sit that long, that’s usually it,” Ayton said. “It’s like…‘You out (of the game) for a reason — go think about it.”

While Ayton has been focused on how he can help the roster offensively, he said he now understands that his defensive presence is how he can impact winning. On a team with Doncic, Reaves, and James, he isn’t going to be asked to score 20 points a night, but rather man the paint and offer some sort of rim-protection for a team that has struggled on that side of the ball all season.

“But me, I scratched that, I took that out. I said…when it comes to scoring, we don’t need that. We need you to put that energy what you have for offense and into defense,” he added. “Team’s been there; it’s just been me.”

Previously, Reaves described Ayton as the Lakers’ X-factor, and for most of the season, when he does well, the team succeeds. However, getting him in the right headspace has been an issue for both the coaching staff and the first overall pick himself for months, but now, he is finally starting to see the vision. 

“So I really like that the team is trusting me, man. I just don’t want to lose the trust, bro. That’s really what’s getting my juices going and me biting my fingernails waiting to get back in the (expletive) game for real.”

A healthy, happy, and energized Ayton is what the Lakers need. If that’s what they have for a playoff run, they’ll be better suited to win games against other top teams in the West, despite questions remaining about his future on the roster after this season.

Los Angeles is currently 43-25 and third in the West, set to face off against the Rockets again on Wednesday. A win would solidify their spot in the standings behind the Thunder and Spurs.

Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski