The injury bug continues to ravage the Los Angeles Lakers, and Saturday night’s matchup in Portland might be their most depleted roster yet. Deandre Ayton, who was questionable heading into the game, has been officially ruled out with knee soreness, meaning he won’t face his former team after all. It’s another bitter blow in what’s become an increasingly frustrating season for the big man in purple and gold.

But the bad news doesn’t stop there. The Lakers will take the court at Moda Center without Austin Reaves, who remains sidelined with a gastrocnemius strain, and rotational center Jaxson Hayes, who’s out with a hamstring ailment. To make matters worse, Luka Doncic is also scratched from the second night of this back-to-back due to groin soreness.

With four losses in their last five games, Los Angeles will lean heavily on Maxi Kleber and Drew Timme to hold down the frontcourt against the Portland Trail Blazers. For Lakers fans, the injury report reads like a nightmare, and there’s no relief in sight.

LA has a 24-15 record and has lost 11 of its last 20. When the teams faced off last time, Deandre Ayton powered them to a win, even without LeBron James, Luka, and Reaves.

The 27-year-old had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots against his former team, leading the short-handed Lakers to a 123-115 victory over the Blazers in November. In November, Ayton had 6 games with 20 or more points.

Since then, he has scored 20 points just once this season. In the last four losses, he is averaging just 9.5 points, with reports of unrest from the Lakers locker room.

Redick stated that Ayton feels like he’s not getting the ball enough, emphasizing the need for better timing, trust from passers, and early touches before the seven-minute mark in games. Ayton acknowledged the limited touches, saying, “Bigs can’t feed themselves,” and expressed trust in his playmakers while committing to effort.

But with Luka Doncic and LeBron James doing the heavy lifting, that’s not what the Lakers need from one of their bigs. His empty moments on the court don’t help his case either.

Clips of him not going for a board or not making the effort to block a shot started filling the Internet. His passivity in the post became the lightning rod for criticism.

In the second quarter against the Kings, LeBron James gave Deandre Ayton the infamous coldest stare. That look seemed to tell the fans that his time with the Lakers might be over sooner rather than later.

Even before the stare, Deandre Ayton’s future was in question

This was not the only instance in which the Bahamian star faced criticism. During the 111-103 win over the Pelicans in January, he did have a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, but the talking point was different.

In the second quarter, while Zion Williamson was shooting free throws, Ayton, instead of boxing out Yves Missi, stood still, and subsequently failed to provide any help defense to Jake LaRavia on Trey Murphy, leading to a three-point play. He was immediately subbed out afterwards.

For Lakers observers, the moment felt familiar, and not just within this season.

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Similar questions about Ayton’s engagement trailed him in Phoenix, most notably during the Suns’ 2022 playoff collapse, when then-franchise centerpiece Devin Booker publicly acknowledged internal frustration over Ayton’s approach.

Booker stopped short of naming him outright, but the message was unmistakable: effort and focus were not consistently matching talent. What was once framed as a developmental concern in Phoenix has since hardened into a reputation.

JJ Redick had already subbed Ayton earlier during another matchup, and did not play Deandre Ayton to close the game against the Grizzlies.

The 7-foot center finished with four points, six rebounds, and one steal in 25 minutes of action. Redick was blunt and simple when asked about benching Ayton to close the game. “He (Hayes) was playing better.”

When the star players and head coach have doubts, a long future becomes grim. NBA insider Jake Fischer, during a livestream for Bleacher Report, reported: “I don’t think anyone in that Lakers building sees Deandre Ayton as their long-term answer at center or as the pick-and-roll rim-lob threat that Luka Doncic will grow old with in Hollywood.”