Story by
"He's getting a second chance" - Cousins thinks this season can make or break Ayton's career
- Story by
- "He's getting a second chance" - Cousins thinks this season can make or break Ayton's career
High expectations welcomed Deandre Ayton when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in July, as with every new beginning. However, this time it's different. NBA pundits are urging him to treat the upcoming 2025-2026 season as if his career depends on it because, for them, it does.
Former All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins is the latest to express this sentiment. DMC said that everyone has seen what the 2018 No. 1 overall pick is capable of doing – now it is time for him to translate that to winning basketball.
Advertisement
This sense of urgency stems from the fact that Ayton will be playing alongside an MVP-caliber player like Luka Doncic and an all-time great in LeBron James .
Cousins and other analysts believe that Ayton has no excuses and needs to capitalize on this rare opportunity to play with the league's greats. Otherwise, he might just as well fade into irrelevancy.
"I think he's at the point of his career where it's make or break," Cousins said on "Run It Back". "He's getting a second chance to do things the correct way."
Advertisement
What is the correct way for Ayton?
Throughout his young career, DA has averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds while playing for the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Blazers . Deandre has shown flashes of star power but has yet to fully unlock his potential as a franchise player — a common expectation for top picks.
Now, with the Lakers, Ayton is willing to take a step back and let the stars do their magic while he embraces his duties as a role player.
On his previous teams, DA played mainly inside, relying on his strong finishing. However, this year, with generational playmakers like Luka and LeBron, Steve Nash wants him to be more dynamic , especially during pick-and-roll/pop actions to fully create potent offensive opportunities with the two superstars and become a legitimate lob threat.
Advertisement
The 7'0'' Ayton also aims to anchor L.A.'s defense this year, taking his rim protector role more seriously. However, he has big shoes to fill as his predecessor, Anthony Davis , averaged 2.2 blocks in his six years with the team. DA has only averaged 1.0 blocks in his entire career.
Whether it's on defense or offense, the correct way for Ayton to play depends on what the Purple & Gold need him to be.
Advertisement
Cousins says it will boil down to mentality
As Ayton enters his eighth year in the league, a career ultimatum looms prominently over his head, with media heads like Kendrick Perkins calling this season his " last chance ."
This season will undoubtedly be a lot of pressure for the 27-year-old center, whose most significant achievement to date is reaching the Finals in 2021 and making the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
While Cousins acknowledged where Ayton is at this point in his career, he said the latter needs to toughen up this year, having seen how L.A. fans treat their players when things go wrong during the season.
Advertisement
"Like I said, it's a make-or-break year for him. I wish him luck moving forward. This is the time to win titles. It's a lot of pressure. Gotta ignore the outside noise," Boogie said. "The fans are gonna be on you every bad game, and they're gonna praise you every good game. Through all of that, you got to show up every night. This is a big year for him."
Now, playing for a successful franchise like the Lakers, this year could really propel Ayton to new heights in his career. The only question is whether Deandre will be willing to put in the work to take off and whether he can handle the pressure that comes with it.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
