The Lakers are sending Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks, continuing a busy week of frontcourt moves for L.A.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a goal this offseason to find a center to pair alongside Luka Doncic, and they landed on that in a trade for Walker Kessler, making Deandre Ayton’s spot on the roster a bit obsolete.
That quickly changed as he’s now heading to Washington Wizards via a trade in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Kessler’s arrival made Ayton’s departure feel imminent, and Ayton will now slot into the frontcourt as the backup to Wizards’ Alex Sarr alongside Anthony Davis.
He will join Washington on the second year of a two-year, $16.2 million contract.
They could use their $13.4 million trade exception from Kelly Olynyk, per ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks, which is good until July 9. It would create a new exception of $6 million.
To read more about the addition for Washington and how it reshapes their frontcourt, here is the full story from Wizards Roundtable writer Ahmed Ghafir.
The move is as much about roster fit as it is draft capital, as the picks help recoup assets they gave up in the deal for Kessler.
But he’ll also fill a need as Sarr is still recovering from foot surgery last month, giving Washington needed depth.
As for Ayton’s time in LA, Ayton was hot in the first round of the playoffs but fizzled out in the second round of the series, showing a need for the Lakers as they look to a future without LeBron James.
That new future will prioritize how each piece fits around Doncic and Austin Reaves, and Ayton is a key piece in that.
