The Los Angeles Lakers have continued to reshape their roster around Luka Doncic, as they traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers will recieve Hardy with the Wizards’ 2031 and 2032 second-round picks. This trade comes within days of Ayton losing his starting spot to Walker Kessler, who the Lakers acquired in a blockbuster move.
The trade did not catch anyone by surprise.
The Lakers were expected to trade Ayton, who picked up his player option to return to the team. Ayton averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting an outstanding 67.1% from the field, but his inconsistency paved the way for the Lakers to make a massive move for Kessler.
Hardy had a productive season with the Wizards after getting traded from the Mavericks in the Anthony Davis trade, averaging 12.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 44.3% from the field and 42.0% from three-point range in 23 games for the Wizards.
The Lakers will look to upgrade their backup center options behind Kessler, with veterans like Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney among possible options.
This move is the next one in a series of aggressive moves this offseason.
After LeBron James departed in free agency, the front office shifted its attention to building a younger roster. The Lakers added Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili in free agency, before making a trade for Kessler. These moves have left Doncic excited, especially after his request for an A-List center was met.
For the Wizards, this deal brings a starting-caliber center alongside Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. The Wizards did not make major moves in the early days of free agency, but now have added a veteran big man who can produce reliable production with the right personnel around him,
This move continues to show a clear organizational shift for the Lakers. Instead of focusing on short-term fixes by bringing in veterans, the Lakers are focusing on younger players that complement better with Luka Doncic. Ayton had his moments, but faced a lot of criticism for his showing sometimes, and the Lakers ultimately decided to move him.
