What happens when a seven-foot enigma keeps reminding you he should be dominant but somehow isn’t? That’s the question hanging over Deandre Ayton like a storm cloud after The Athletic slotted the Lakers’ newest center at No. 30 in its “Top-40 Big Men” rankings. The number isn’t flattering. It’s barely respectable. And for a former No. 1 pick still just 27, it feels less like recognition and more like a referendum.

But the thing is, Ayton’s arrival in Los Angeles wasn’t just a Rob Pelinka front-office move. It carried Luka Doncic’s fingerprints all over it. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Doncic worked directly with the Lakers’ VP of basketball ops, actively shaping the roster. Ayton was one of Luka’s gets. A player Luka vouched for, pushed for, and now has to help justify. That changes the stakes. Because Ayton isn’t new to big moments.

He was the backbone of Phoenix’s 2021 Finals run, dropping 22 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in Game 1 against the Clippers in the West Finals. That version of Ayton looked like the franchise anchor Phoenix dreamed of. The problem? That version hasn’t been seen consistently enough. Since then, Ayton’s career has read like spurts of high-level play followed by weeks of “does he even want to be out there?” And now he’s a Laker.

On a 2-year, $16.2 million deal. A contract that screams prove-it rather than celebrate-it. It’s affordable, and it keeps the pressure on Ayton to deliver. Because in Los Angeles, inconsistency is… well, spotlighted. On paper, Ayton has the tools. He’s a 7-footer with soft touch, a career 53.5% shooter from the field, and capable of punishing smaller lineups. He’s averaged a double-double in four of his six NBA seasons. And yet, here he is.

Ranked just ahead of Brook Lopez and Al Horford, both well into their mid-30s. The message? Age and upside don’t matter if the nightly product doesn’t match. Advanced metrics have long painted Ayton as a mixed bag. His rebounding rates, once top-tier, have slipped. Coaches rave about what he can be, not what he is. That gap between projection and production has defined his narrative. But the subtext behind this entire experiment is that when the Los Angeles Lakers signed Ayton, they doubled down on Doncic’s vision for the team. 

Luka, already polarizing inside the locker room, reportedly had friction with both LeBron James and Austin Reaves last season. Neither enjoyed Doncic’s ball-dominant style. Neither was shy about it, as told on the Burns and Gambo Show. And yet, this offseason, the Lakers clearly leaned into Luka’s preferences. That creates a fascinating dynamic.

Doncic’s reputation is on the line with Ayton

LeBron James, entering Year 23, is used to having the final say. Reaves, the franchise’s homegrown darling, has become a fan favorite precisely because he fits seamlessly next to LeBron. But now, both are watching as Doncic’s influence stretches beyond the court and into roster construction. If Ayton works, Luka looks like a genius architect. If Ayton stumbles, it’s Luka’s fingerprints all over the failure. That’s the double edge of star-driven roster building.

Ayton, for his part, has embraced the challenge. “This is an opportunity I won’t take for granted,” he told reporters. “Luka is a once-in-a-generation player, and I’m happy to be his teammate.” It’s a diplomatic answer, a safe soundbite. But behind it lies the weight of expectation. Because the Lakers don’t just need Ayton to be serviceable.

They need him to be great. They need him to cover the gaps, to buy LeBron rest, to finish Luka’s lobs, and to give Reaves and Marcus Smart defensive cover. Anything less, and this becomes another chapter in the Ayton frustration saga. And let’s not forget that the rankings don’t always get it right.

Kobe Bryant was once rated the 11th-best player in NBA history. Try telling that to anyone who watched him drop 60 in his farewell. Modern metrics don’t always capture legacy or late-game takeover ability. Maybe Ayton’s ranking is fair. Maybe it’s lazy. Either way, the court of public opinion (hello, LakersNation) will decide. So what comes next?

Ayton has two years to prove he’s more than a cautionary tale. Two years to shift perception from underachiever to anchor. Two years to justify Luka’s faith and the Lakers’ gamble. Because if he doesn’t, this ranking at No. 30 won’t be a low point. It’ll be the ceiling. And for the Lakers, already navigating internal friction and an aging LeBron, the margin for error is almost non-existent. One wrong bet or failed experiment, and the entire future of the franchise could tilt off balance.