Lakers trade Deandre Ayton to Wizards for Jaden Hardy

Deandre Ayton’s tenure with the Lakers has come to an end.

On Friday, the Lakers traded the 7-foot center to the Wizards on Friday for Jaden Hardy and a pair of Washington’s second round picks (2031 and 2032).

The trade is a continuation of the Lakers’ roster reconstruction around superstar guard Luka Dončić, who recruited Ayton to LA last summer.

Ayton joins LeBron James (next team to be determined), Marcus Smart (Houston Rockets), Luke Kennard (Phoenix Suns) and Jaxson Hayes (Utah Jazz) as players from the 2025-26 squad who’ll be on another team next season.

Rui Hachimura also remains an unrestricted free agent, with multiple teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves expressing interest in signing the 6-foot-8 forward. 

In pursuit of building a more complementary roster to Dončić as the top priority of the offseason, the Lakers have re-signed Austin Reaves (four years, $185 million), agreed to a sign and trade with the Jazz for Walker Kessler (four years, $130 million) and agreed to deals with Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million). 

Every deal the Lakers have agreed to have a player option at the end of the contract. 

Ayton exercised his $8.1 million player option for 2026–27 earlier in the week as part of the two-year, $16.2 million contract he signed with the Lakers last July to forego unrestricted free agency.

His decision was one of the biggest X-factors of the Lakers’ offseason considering the team’s desire to find a new starting center and his impact on their cap space.

Ayton, the 2018 No. 1 draft pick who’ll turn 28 in July, averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds in a career-high 72 regular games. He was instrumental to the Lakers’ first-round playoff victory against the Rockets, averaging 11.8 points (60.4% shooting) and 10.8 rebounds in the six-game series.

But Ayton was also a polarizing player because of his inconsistent motor and his play style not fitting the archetype the Lakers need. Dončić has long craved a rim-running, rim-protecting center who he can dominate with in the pick-and-roll — two things Ayton isn’t.

Despite his talents, which have been evident since he entered the league, it was clear he wasn’t going to develop into the kind of big man the Lakers needed him to be. 

The type of center that Kessler already is, with room to go into an annual All-Defensive team caliber player. 

The Lakers are searching for another backup big man, with Andre Drummond, Kevon Looney and Nick Richards all viable options. 

In Hardy, the Lakers are acquiring a 23-year-old guard who fits into the team’s desires to get younger and more athletic.

The 6-foot-3 Hardy, the No. 37 pick in the 2022 draft out of the now-defunct G League Ignite, averaged 12.6 points in 23 games with the Wizards after being traded to Washington midseason. 

He’s averaged 8.4 points on 38.6% shooting on 3-pointers in his NBA career. 

Hardy was teammates with Doncic in Dallas for 2 ½ seasons before Doncic was traded to Los Angeles, with the Mavericks trading Hardy to Washington in February. It isn’t clear what role Hardy will have if he stays on the roster since the Lakers already have several backcourt players ahead of him on the depth chart. He has two years and $12 million (team option for 2027-28) left on his contract.

The trade netted the draft-pick depleted Lakers two second rounders, which can be included in a trade for along with their own 2033 second-round pick and 2032 first-round pick swap as they look to more roster improvements.

With Hardy’s 2026-27 salary ($6 million) $2.1 less than Ayton’s ($8.1 million), the Lakers will create more financial flexibility for themselves as they continue to search for a backup big and wing defender.

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