Deandre Ayton being waived by the Portland Trail Blazers has been one of the biggest stories of the free agency so far. The big man was released from the team on Monday and has subsequently been heavily linked with the LA Lakers. In light of his possible move to Los Angeles, a clip from 2022 of Lakers coach JJ Redick praising Ayton has resurfaced.The video showed Redick on a panel alongside Patrick Beverly and Stephen A. Smith as they discussed Ayton's potential. Their discussion stemmed from his performances in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.In the series, Deandre Ayton faced his fellow draft classmate Luka Doncic and was eliminated in seven games, as the Suns were ousted a year after reaching the NBA Finals. The panel was divided when speaking of the center, with Beverly and Smith seemingly unimpressed with his performance.However, Redick defended Ayton passionately and couldn't stop raving about his "fantastic" qualities:"Ayton's fantastic. He's fantastic at punishing mismatches in the two-man pick-and-roll with him and CP (Chris Paul). They're the No. 1 offensive duo among high-volume pick-and-roll players, so he is fantastic."Redick's praise of Ayton's game years before moving into a coaching role makes his links to the Lakers more promising. Los Angeles needs a star center since Anthony Davis moved to Dallas, and the former Suns star could be an answer to that problem.Furthermore, his linkup with Doncic could revitalize Ayton's career, as the Lakers hope to build a championship roster around LeBron James.Report claims Deandre Ayton's "tantrums" were a reason behind Portland waiverSelected No. 1 in the 2018 draft, Deandre Ayton was projected for great things in the NBA. Although playing an instrumental role in the Suns' NBA Finals run in 2021, he has been a shadow of his former self since then. Moved out of Phoenix after a reported confrontation with coach Monty Williams in 2022, the center's exit from Portland seems to be due to similar reasons.According to a report from The Athletic, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups grew tired of Ayton's "bad ways." The center was reportedly unpunctual for practice and team flights and often skipped rehabilitation appointments. Additionally, his behavior after being benched was another issue with the big man throwing fits in the locker room, according to team sources.All of these traits were supposedly enough for Portland to waive him as they look to build their roster around young talents.