Real reason why the Los Angeles Lakers traded Deandre Ayton.
As part of their offseason of change, the Los Angeles Lakers moved on from Deandre Ayton, trading him to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and future second-round draft picks in 2031 and 2032.
Ayton signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal with a player option with the Lakers in the 2025 offseason after reaching a buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers.
He opted into his player option at the start of the offseason.
In his lone season with the Lakers, Ayton started 72 games, finishing with 12.5 points and eight rebounds per game. In the playoffs, He averaged ten points and 9.6 rebounds in ten starts.
Ayton was signed to be a solution for the center position after the team started Jaxson Hayes in the playoffs next to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James the prior season.
Why Did The Lakers Trade Ayton?
According to Jovan Buha of BasketNews, the Lakers traded Ayton as a way to save money and because they got assets back.
The Ayton trade was reported on July 3, two days after it was reported the Lakers traded unprotected first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Walker Kessler, who they then signed to a four-year, $130 million contract.
At that point, Ayton became the $8 million backup center.
The Lakers made the decision to trade him to the Wizards and, days later, signed Kevon Looney to a one-year deal worth $2.4 million.
Smart Move For The Lakers?
The fact that they got back a player like Jaden Hardy, who has upside as a floor spacer, who shot 42% from three on six attempts per game with the Wizards last season, and two second-round picks is a big win for the Lakers.
They didn't have to attach any assets to the deal and ended up with a better fit, along with draft compensation that could be used for later trades.
Ayton was going to be an $8 million backup who would see his role decrease with the addition of Kessler. He was already reportedly unhappy when he wasn't as involved in the offense last season, and even with LeBron no longer being on the team, he wasn't going to see the touches he likely desired.
Not only did they get assets in the deal, but they also managed to quickly find his replacement by signing Looney, who is a low-maintenance backup that fits better into how the Lakers want to play.
