Lakers Under Pressure to Cut Ties with Struggling Center
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing mounting pressure to make a decisive move as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches, with growing calls to cut ties with their $16 million center, Deandre Ayton. What was once viewed as a low-risk and high-upside addition has increasingly become a source of frustration for analysts and fans. Expectations that the veteran big man could stabilize the frontcourt, provide consistent interior scoring, and anchor the defense have not been met. Instead, he shows inconsistent effort and questionable on-court engagement, in addition to concerns about fitting within the roster, which has placed the Lakers in an uncomfortable position as they try to remain competitive in a crowded Western Conference. With little margin for error, every roster spot now matters more than ever for a team with championship aspirations.
That urgency is reflected in the team’s growing activity on the trade market. League discussion indicating the Lakers are exploring potential deadline scenarios involving Eastern Conference teams as they search for better balance and reliability in the frontcourt. Internal evaluations have reportedly expanded beyond minor tweaks, which signals a willingness to consider meaningful roster changes. That, of course, if the right opportunity presents itself.
The issue goes beyond box scores and raw production, which instead points to chemistry and overall momentum. The Lakers’ season has already been marked by uneven stretches, and observers believe the presence of a high-paid player who fails to fully buy into his role only magnifies those struggles. For a team built around urgency and leadership, patience is beginning to wear very thin. Even a modest return at the deadline could be preferable to continuing with a situation that appears stagnant. The real concern is that holding onto the contract for too long could not only hurt any on-court performance but also send the wrong message about the effort that needs to be made.
From a front-office perspective, the decision is complicated but generally unavoidable. The $16 million salary could serve as a useful matching piece in a trade, which potentially allows the Lakers to pursue depth, defensive versatility, or a better positional fit. Waiting until the offseason risks losing flexibility and wasting a year of contention, especially as rivals in the conference continue to improve. While moving on would mean the experiment did not work, many believe that decisiveness is preferable to denial at this stage. As the deadline closes in, the Lakers must choose between hoping for a sudden turnaround or acting boldly to reshape their roster, knowing that inaction could prove more damaging than any trade they make now.
