The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly made another offseason move, trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Just in: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two Wizards second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/bAEtSFpTNi
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2026
The trade comes just days after Ayton opted into his $8.1 million player option and the Lakers traded for 7-foot-2 big man Walker Kessler in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz.
After the deal with Utah, Ayton was positioned to be the backup center behind Kessler, but it seems Ayton, with the trade to the Wizards, could have been looking to be a starter in a contract year. He will now, ironically, pair up with Anthony Davis in Washington's frontcourt.
In return, the Lakers add a young scoring guard who played his first three seasons in the NBA with Luka Dončić while also acquiring two future second-round selections in 2031 and 2032 at their disposal.
Hardy, 23, is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 9.2 points on 39.7% shooting from 3 in 57 games between the Dallas Mavericks and Wizards last season.
The 6-foot-3 shooting guard averaged 12.6 points on a career-high 42.0% from 3-point range (six attempts) in 23 games with the Wizards.
Hardy gives the Lakers another young backcourt option with upside, while the additional draft capital provides more flexibility for future trades or roster building.