Deandre Ayton is already proving he’s fully bought into a reserve role on Wizards

Tyler Watts writes that Deandre Ayton has quickly embraced his new bench role with the Washington Wizards. After being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks, Ayton is serving as a reserve behind starters Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. Through his first three games, Ayton has averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds across 15.3 minutes per game while shooting 76.9 percent from the field.

Watts argues that Ayton is focused on doing the little things, such as setting screens and rebounding, without demanding touches. Analyst Drew Gooden publicly praised the former top pick for setting aside his ego. The writer notes that Ayton opted into an $8.1 million player option and is motivated to rebuild his market value ahead of unrestricted free agency in 2027.