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Lakers’ Deandre Ayton excited for return to playoffs: ‘I want to do backflips’

April 15, 2026

EL SEGUNDO — When Deandre Ayton first spoke to reporters as the newest Lakers signee in July, he brushed aside a question about whether there was a chance for a potential Big 3 scenario alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic, or if he was coming to Los Angeles to play a specific role.

“I leave that up to you guys,” Ayton told reporters on July 8. “I leave that up to you guys. I’m just here to be a part of the puzzle.”

Ayton, coming off a separation with the Portland Trail Blazers, hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2022-23 season, when he was still a focal point of the Phoenix Suns, who had drafted him with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Ayton helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals as their starting center in 2021, securing the franchise’s first Western Conference title since 1993.

The puzzle pieces for the Lakers, and how Ayton fits into the team, have scattered over the course of the season.

He recorded seven games of 20 points or more in 20 games to begin the season, about half of which came without James, who was recovering from sciatica at the time. But there was also a stretch through January and February when he averaged 10.8 points per game; including an ESPN article in which Ayton exclaimed in the locker room that he was “not no Clint Capela,” making reference to the Houston Rockets’ high-energy big man known for his rim-running threat rather than traditional paint dominance.

Just last week, Lakers coach JJ Redick was openly critical of Ayton’s pass-catching abilities after the team dropped a third consecutive game in their late-season stretch without Doncic and Austin Reaves due to their respective Grade 2 strains.

“He’s had trouble catching the ball,” Redick said last Tuesday. “We’ve ran a bunch of plays for him. He’s just had trouble catching the ball. And I don’t know if that’s the passing or if it’s him trying to get position. He just, he hasn’t been able to catch the ball.”

On Wednesday, as the team continued preparing to host the Rockets in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series on Saturday, Redick struck a different tune about his starting big man. Ayton said on March 12, after scoring 23 points in a season-high 37:08 minutes on the court in a victory over the Chicago Bulls, that his energy and focus had “finally caught up” with the rest of the Lakers.

When asked where he felt Ayton has been since the center shared those remarks about where he felt he was, Redick said the Lakers are “very happy” with where Ayton is heading into the playoffs.

“The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” Redick said of Ayton, who has averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds per game. “When he’s at his best, we’re an elite basketball team. That’s just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much.”

Much like when he first spoke about representing the purple and gold last summer, Ayton reversed a question back toward reporters on Wednesday when asked about his mid-March personal assessment.

“You tell me,” he said, titling his head while awaiting a response.

A reporter to Ayton’s left responded by telling the post player that they wanted to hear from him. The 27-year-old Bahamian responded with a reiteration of his comments.

“Y’all tell me,” Ayton said. “Y’all tell me. I like when you guys speculate and judge. But I ain’t got no answers neither.”

Ayton relented to a rephrased question about his performance against the Utah Jazz in Sunday night’s regular-season finale. Ayton scored 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots despite playing just 25½ minutes against the Western Conference’s last-place squad.

“Well, the Utah Jazz isn’t the Houston Rockets,” Ayton said, drawing laughs. “Honestly, I’m glad I got some reps in where I can be out there and prolong, just to get some flow going before we had this long break. I appreciate JJ keeping me out there just making sure I work on my endurance and just keep my conditioning high.”

Lakers center Deandre Ayton laughs while warming up before a game against the Houston Rockets on March 18, 2026, in Houston. Ayton says he's excited to be back in the playoffs and doing so for the first time as a Laker. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) — Lakers center Deandre Ayton laughs while warming up before a game against the Houston Rockets on March 18, 2026, in Houston. Ayton says he’s excited to be back in the playoffs and doing so for the first time as a Laker. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Ayton played in a career-high 72 games this season, one more than the 71 appearances he made when he was the NBA’s 2018 Rookie of the Year. He added that he’s proud of that fact, showcasing his stamina across an 82-game stretch; a season in which several teammates have had extended injury absences.

Now likely to play a larger role in the Lakers’ offensive scheming with Doncic and Reaves unavailable for, in all likelihood, most of the first round, Ayton said that although he’s been challenged this season, he’s felt like he “embraced” everything that had been thrown his way.

Houston’s rebounding is a challenge the Lakers, and Ayton, must deal with in this series. The Rockets rank at the top of the league in offensive rebounds (14.9 per game) and ninth in total rebounds (47.7 per game). Against the Rockets, Ayton said he’ll need to crash the glass – an assessment which matches the Lakers’ box out-focused drills on Tuesday.

“We’re the team where you don’t know who’s gonna have the 30 points, or this or that. We’re just going to play hard and just play together,” Ayton said, adding that the Lakers will have to match the Rockets’ “bully-ball” tonality. “And I’ve been here before where been the underdog, and you got to stick together and let defense win games.”

That’s what the Lakers did back in March, when they held the Rockets to 92 points – albeit on a night when Houston was without star center Alperen Sengun – in the first of back-to-back victories in Houston; also a part of their nine-game winning streak.

Ayton expressed joy about returning to the postseason stage, and the reality of appearing in the playoffs as a Laker – experiencing playoff basketball representing Los Angeles for the first time.

Saturday, the proverbial curtains will rise and Ayton will line up for tip-off, the newest postseason chapter of his NBA career.

“I am truly excited,” Ayton said. “I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

LAKERS VS. ROCKETS SCHEDULE

All times are PT

Game 1 – at Lakers, Saturday, 5:30 p.m., ABC (Ch. 7)

Game 2 – at Lakers, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., NBC (Ch. 4)

Game 3 – at Rockets, April 24, 5 p.m., Prime

Game 4 – at Rockets, April 26, 6:30 p.m., NBC (Ch. 4)

x-Game 5 – at Lakers, April 29, TBD

x-Game 6 – at Rockets, May 1, TBD

x-Game 7 – at Lakers, May 3, TBD

x – If necessary

Lakers’ Deandre Ayton excited for return to playoffs: ‘I want to do backflips’ Orange County Register

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Lakers’ Deandre Ayton excited for return to playoffs: ‘I want to do backflips’

LAKERS VS. ROCKETS SCHEDULE

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