Deandre Ayton vs Wendell Carter Jr.
Ayton · Carter Jr.
Where the gap is
from the numbers aboveDeandre Ayton scored more in 2025-26, 0.7 points a game apart (12.5 vs 11.8), on Ayton's heavier usage (16.4% vs 15.6%).
Ayton is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 67.6% to 61.7%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.
Playmaking goes to Carter Jr. (2.0 vs 0.8 assists), the glass to Ayton (8.0 vs 7.4 rebounds).
With Carter Jr. on the floor his team outscored opponents by +2.2 per 100 possessions, against +0.1 for Ayton; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.
On the books for 2026-27: Ayton $8.1M through 2026-27, Carter Jr. $18.1M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.
Splits
2025-26 · from the game logs| Ayton | Carter Jr. | |
|---|---|---|
| 46-26 | Record when playing | 43-35 |
| 13.1 | Points at home | 11.8 |
| 11.9 | Points on the road | 11.9 |
| 14.3 | Points in wins | 12.9 |
| 9.2 | Points in losses | 10.5 |
| 29 | Season high | 28 |
| 0 | 30-point games | 0 |
| 22 | Double-doubles | 12 |
Last games & contracts
test a trade in the Trade Machine →More comparisons
pick any two players →Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).

