Devin Booker once went to the NBA Finals with Deandre Ayton, but now refuses to guarantee Bahamian’s success.
Heading into the summer, the Lakers in Los Angeles knew they had to deal with the depths of their heart. Their embarrassing playoff exit proved how weak they were in that position.
As a result, the Lakers went to DeAndre Ayton in the summer to sign. The former general pick has agreed to an acquisition with the Portland Trail Blazers.
One of his biggest motivations to join the team was his personnel. Ayton wanted to play with Luka Donsic and achieve success in the NBA again.
But former All-Star teammate Devin Booker played Koi when it came to answering questions about Ayton’s success with the Lakers.
Devin Booker spoke to reporters ahead of the Phoenix Suns’ preseason opening game against the La Lakers in Palm Springs.
Booker responded vaguely when his former teammate Deandre Ayton spoke about what he could bring to the LA Lakers next season.
“I mean, I think we just need to see.”
Booker and Ayton played together from 2018 to 2023 and were successful together. They even reached the NBA Finals in 2021.
However, Ayton’s performance took a massive dip in the 2022-23 NBA season and was traded later.
Heading into the new season, fans don’t know what to expect from Deandre Ayton. The Bahamian center has been overwhelmed for the final years of his career.
For the Portland Trail Blazers last season, Ayton averaged just 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. However, the context behind his numbers is important.
First of all, Ayton didn’t have a great point guard to set him up. Scoot Henderson and Anfernie Simons are the more score-first point guards.
Secondly, the Trail Blazers were an uncompetitive aspect and weren’t trying to win many games. It can keep the stars from moving to perform at a high level.
As he returned to the championship team and played alongside Luka Donsic and LeBron James, Ayton could benefit from sharing the court with two of the league’s smartest players.