Ayton (knee) is off the injury report for Monday's game against the Suns, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
After leaving Sunday's win over the Pelicans due to right knee soreness, Ayton is good to go Monday and shouldn't have any restrictions. The star big man has averaged 16.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 29.5 minutes per tilt across 17 games this season.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Exits early Sunday
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Ayton exited Sunday's game against the Pelicans and did not return due to right knee soreness, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Ayton appeared to be favoring his right knee, which is the same knee he has been experiencing discomfort in over the last week, before taking himself out of the game. The Lakers were sporting a comfortable lead, so it remains unclear if Ayton would have been able to return to the game had it been competitive. If he is forced to miss time, Jaxson Hayes figures to see an expanded role.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Will play vs. Dallas
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Ayton (knee) will play in Friday's game against the Mavericks, NBA reporter Marc Stein reports.
Ayton is returning from a one-game absence due to a knee issue. The star big man should have no limits on his playing time Friday. Ayton has averaged 16.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals in 27.8 minutes per game across his last nine appearances.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Probable to play Friday
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Ayton (knee) is listed as probable for Friday's game against the Mavericks, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Ayton has missed the Lakers' last two games due to a right knee contusion. It appears the eighth-year center is on track to play Friday, and Ayton's return would likely send Jaxson Hayes back to the bench. Across nine games in November, Ayton has averaged 16.0 points on 74.7 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals over 27.8 minutes per game.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Won't play Tuesday
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Ayton (knee) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Clippers, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Ayton was forced out of Sunday's game due to a right knee contusion, and now he will miss Tuesday's contest. Additionally, it's not a great sign that he's getting ruled out 24 hours in advance of tipoff, but the good news is that after Tuesday's game, the Lakers are off until Friday, meaning Ayton will have four full days to rest up. Jaxson Hayes will likely get the start in his absence, and Maxi Kleber should be able to get into the rotation.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Won't return Sunday
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Ayton (knee) won't return to Sunday's game against the Jazz, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Ayton sustained a right knee contusion in the first half and won't return in the second. He'll finish with two points (1-2 FG), three rebounds and one steal in 13 minutes. Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber are candidates for increased minutes the rest of the way. Ayton's next chance to play will come Tuesday against the Clippers.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Questionable to return Sunday
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Ayton is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Jazz due to a right knee contusion, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Ayton presumably sustained the knee injury in the first half, during which he posted two points (1-2 FG), three rebounds and one steal in 13 minutes. Jaxson Hayes started the second half in place of Ayton, though Maxi Kleber could also see increased run the rest of the way if Ayton is unable to return.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Battling through illness
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Ayton did not participate in Saturday's practice due to an illness, but he will travel with the Lakers ahead of Sunday's game against the Jazz, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Ayton can be considered questionable for Sunday's contest, and his status will become more clear when he goes through morning shootaround and pregame warmups. Ayton's absence would likely lead to Jaxson Hayes entering the Lakers' starting five, and Maxi Kleber would be in line for more minutes off the bench. Over his last eight games, Ayton has averaged 17.8 points on 75.3 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals over 29.6 minutes per game, and he has registered a double-double in three consecutive outings.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Not listed on injury report
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Ayton (illness) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday's game in Utah, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Ayton did not participate in Saturday's practice due to an illness, but that won't stop him from taking the floor for Sunday's game in Utah. The big man is averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on the season.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Drops monster double-double in win
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Ayton finished Tuesday's 140-126 win over the Jazz with 20 points (10-13 FG, 0-2 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 30 minutes.
Ayton has now put up 20 points in three straight contests, and he benefited from the return of LeBron James (sciatica) with easy baskets. Ayton is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.9 blocks across 30.4 minutes this season.
Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Efficient double-double vs. NOP
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Ayton logged 20 points (10-11 FG), 16 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 36 minutes during Friday's 118-104 victory over New Orleans.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves led the way for the Lakers in this victory, but the impressive performance of Ayton can't be overlooked. The big man, who had a few problems adjusting to the offense at first, has been putting up good numbers of late, though this was his most efficient performance by a wide margin after missing just one of his 11 shots. This was Ayton's fifth double-double of the season, and it was the fourth time he scored at least 20 points. Since missing the Nov. 2 win over Miami, Ayton is shooting an impressive 48-for-63 from the floor in six games -- good for a 76.1 field-goal percentage.
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Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Posts another double-double
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Ayton finished Saturday's 119-95 win over the Bucks with 20 points (9-13 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one block and two steals over 28 minutes.
Ayton needed a few games to get into the flow of the Lakers' offense, but his results in recent games have been excellent. The veteran big man has been making his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball but is also putting up solid numbers on offense as a secondary weapon behind the Luka Doncic - Austin Reaves duo. Ayton has four double-doubles in seven appearances in November, averaging 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in that span.
Ayton registered 11 points (5-5 FG, 1-1 FT) and five rebounds over 20 minutes during Saturday's 122-102 loss to Atlanta.
Ayton came up short of recording what would've been a third straight double-double, and this five-rebound haul was his second-worst output of the campaign. Ayton is not going to be a go-to option on offense any time soon for the Lakers, but the big man is making the most of his touches. As long as he can continue to crash the glass and remain serviceable on offense, he should have some decent upside, especially since he'll eventually play alongside LeBron James (nerve) and Luka Doncic together, a scenario that could increase his possibilities near the rim, either as a lob threat or as an outlier in attacks to the rim.
Lakers' Deandre Ayton: Second straight double-double
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Ayton closed Wednesday's 118-116 win over the Spurs with 22 points (9-13 FG, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal across 33 minutes.
The double-double was Ayton's second straight since returning from a one-game absence due to back spasms, and his fourth of the season in eight contests. The 27-year-old center is averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 boards, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 assists to begin his first season with the Lakers, and his rebounding numbers should tick up as the campaign progresses -- Ayton has never failed to average a double-double in the NBA since being drafted first overall by the Suns in 2018.
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