Lakers’ Deandre Ayton gets 100% real on injury before return vs. Mavericks

As the Los Angeles Lakers (13–4) prepare for their final West Group B matchup in NBA Cup play Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks (5–14), center Deandre Ayton opened up about the knee injury that briefly sidelined him and detailed the process that allowed him to return to the lineup. Ayton, originally listed as probable, was upgraded to available early Friday.

Ayton spoke with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin during Friday’s shootaround, offering a candid account of the moment his injury occurred.

“It was kinda scary the way it felt,” Ayton said. “It felt like my knee broke, it really was like a bone-to-bone contusion where he just hit my kneecap dead on with my patella and it was just like a bruising really, stuff I could play through. It’s not really something that’s stopping me from playing, it hurts but it’s something I can play through.”

The 27-year-old missed Tuesday’s 135–118 NBA Cup win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and he admitted the swelling made it impossible to suit up.

“Oh no, I couldn’t move that thing,” Ayton said when asked how close he was to playing Tuesday. “It was too swollen – I had fluid in it really that’s why I couldn’t move the way I wanted to move until like the next day after getting all my medication. Just letting some of that stuff rest in and I woke up with a new knee – the swelling down, I just got straight to therapy and working out.”

“It was scary the way it felt. It felt like my knee broke.” – Deandre Ayton on the knee contusion he suffered two games ago and how he feels ready to return to the lineup now. The Lakers upgraded him to available vs. DAL. pic.twitter.com/29MUJwvuxe

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 28, 2025

McMenamin followed up by asking whether the knee required a draining procedure.

“No, not drained,” Ayton said. “It was more like naturally after medication and all those inflammatory pills that I was taking and just really trying to rest up. I feel like that these two days we had just coming in and getting what you need – stayed on treatment. Yesterday, obviously being Thanksgiving but still having my guys come in and check on me was a big advantage so yeah, shootaround went pretty smooth with me as well. I had no knick knacks or uncomfortability.”

Deandre Ayton’s return boosts the Lakers as they lead West Group B ahead of NBA Cup match vs. Mavericks

Asked by another reporter whether he felt he rushed his return, Ayton responded bluntly.

“I don’t really got that many games,” he said. “Everybody say my life’s on the line so they just keep that narrative.”

Ayton has been one of the Lakers’ most efficient contributors this season. Through 15 games, he is averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting a career-best 69.6% from the field, giving Los Angeles a needed interior presence alongside stars Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James.

Ayton also praised the team’s recent momentum after clinching a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with Tuesday’s win.

“That was pretty cool to see especially seeing Bron and Luka and AR getting their groove back,” Ayton said. “I was just really watching on the sideline where I can help them, where they need me at as a big especially on the defensive end especially when we play big teams like tonight. Just being that anchor, the defense and just setting the tone early.”

Friday’s matchup at Crypto.com Arena also marks Anthony Davis’ highly anticipated return, as he is set to play his first game back in Los Angeles since being traded to the Mavericks last February. Davis has missed nearly a month with a calf strain suffered on Oct. 29.

The Lakers enter the night at the top of West Group B with a 3–0 record and a +36 point differential, while Dallas looks to salvage its NBA Cup hopes and stop a frustrating slide.

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