Ayton is dealt just days ater picking up his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season.

Ian Casselberry
Yahoo Sports Staff

The Los Angeles Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday.

Ayton is being traded just days after he picked up his $8.1 million player option for the upcoming season. The 7-footer averaged 12.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block per game in his lone season with the Lakers, playing a career-high 72 games. He originally signed a two-year, $16.2 million contract that included the option for the 2026-27 season.

However, the eight-year veteran became expendable after the Lakers acquired center Walker Kessler and agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract with him in a sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz.

Kessler, who will turn 25 on July 26, only appeared in five games for the Jazz last season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, averaging 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. In his four NBA seasons, he has averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists playing 25.3 minutes per game.

Additionally, the Lakers added 6-foot-9 forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili, signing him to a four-year, $52 million contract. Last season with the Toronto Raptors, the 27-year-old averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 39% on 296 3-point attempts.

The Lakers are looking at possible free-agent centers Andre Drummond, Jonas Valančiūnas and Kevon Looney for frontcourt depth after trading Ayton, according to Charania.

Ayton, who turns 28 on July 23, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns out of Arizona. He played five seasons with the Suns before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Hardy, 23, played three seasons with Luka Dončić on the Dallas Mavericks from 2022-25. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.6 points in 23 games for the Wizards last season after being acquired from the Mavericks with Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum in an eight-player blockbuster deal.

Prior to joining the Wizards, Hardy appeared in 34 games for the Mavericks, averaging 6.9 points. Altogether, he hit 40% of his 262 3-point shots.

In four NBA seasons, Hardy has scored 8.4 points per game with .464/.386/.756 shooting splits. He was originally a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings after playing with the G League Ignite and traded to the Mavericks shortly thereafter.