Lakers’ Austin Reaves Makes Bold Statement About Deandre Ayton

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently on a three-game losing streak and have come under heavy criticism for their players’ lack of effort and defensive intensity. Luka Doncic and company can’t seem to get back on track, even though two of the last three games came down to a last-second shot that didn’t fall.

Along with several media outlets heavily criticizing Doncic for his constant complaining to referees and defensive deficiencies, veteran Deandre Ayton has also been in the spotlight lately for his poor play and a recent viral comment about Houston Rockets big man Clint Capela.

Austin Reaves Calls Deandre Ayton ‘X Factor’ for Lakers’

Deandre Ayton Los Angeles Lakers — Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Despite all the criticism Ayton has received during his first season with the Lakers, rising star Austin Reaves thinks highly of his new teammate, going as far as to call him the team’s “X factor” during the 2025-26 campaign, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

"That guy right there is the X factor," Reaves told ESPN, gesturing to Ayton. "He changes our ceiling."

Unfortunately, Reaves’ praise of the veteran center couldn’t have come at a worse time, as he went on to have a forgettable performance against the Phoenix Suns.

After taking a subtle shot at Capela, claiming Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his coaching staff are trying to limit him to a similar role to the Rockets center in Houston, Ayton fell flat in a big way in the loss to the Suns, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018.

Ayton finished Thursday’s loss to the Suns with a -24, which was the worst plus/minus of any player in the game. He played 23 minutes as a starter, racking up only four rebounds, two points and a steal, which obviously is far from ideal.

Clint Capela Claps Back at Deandre Ayton

Clint Capela Houston Rockets — Feb 23, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (30) grabs a rebound against Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) in the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Following Ayton's failure to show that he deserves to have a bigger role on the Lakers with his poor performance in Phoenix, Capela immediately took to social media to fire back at the Arizona product for his undermining comments earlier in the week.

Ayton deserved the criticism, but he will have a chance to redeem himself over the weekend, with the Lakers playing a back-to-back set against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday in the Bay Area, followed by a matchup against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.