The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in 2031 and 2032. This comes a day after the Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Jazz in a separate sign-and-trade.
If you are keeping score, the Lakers went from Anthony Davis and LeBron James one year ago to Luka Doncic, Walker Kessler, and Jaden Hardy this week. That is a franchise reset, and it happened faster than anyone expected.
Ayton was a strange fit in Los Angeles. He was supposed to be the low-post scoring center who could catch lobs from Luka and finish at the rim. He was also inconsistent, occasionally uninterested, and never seemed to fully click with the pace the Lakers wanted to play. Getting anything for him after last year’s disappointing season is a win for Rob Pelinka.
The Wizards get a project. That is exactly what they signed up for. Washington is fully in the Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George phase of the rebuild, and adding a 28-year-old former No. 1 overall pick who might rediscover his game in a low-pressure environment is a fair swing to take. Ayton has never played on a bad team before. Washington is very bad, and it might actually help him.
Jaden Hardy is the interesting piece coming to LA. He is a 22-year-old combo guard with real shot creation upside, and he immediately becomes part of the young core the Lakers are trying to build around Luka. Two second-round picks in the early 2030s are throw-ins that might turn into something.
Walker Kessler is the bigger move. The Lakers gave up unprotected 2031 and 2033 first-round picks and swaps in 2028 and 2030 to get him. That is a massive cost, but Kessler is a legitimate rim-protecting center on a rookie contract who fits perfectly next to Luka. He blocks shots, rebounds, and finishes lobs, which is exactly what a Luka-led offense needs.
What the Lakers are doing makes sense on paper. They are building around Luka Doncic. Kessler is a foundational center. Hardy is a young ball-handler. They have flexibility going forward and they are actually younger and more athletic than they have been in years.
What they are not doing is pretending they can still contend for a title next season. That is the LeBron effect. Without him, the ceiling for this Lakers team is a first-round playoff exit at best, and JJ Redick is going to spend the season teaching Luka how to lead a young roster instead of trying to squeeze one more Finals run out of a superstar closer.
Washington fans should look at Ayton and hope for a redemption arc. He is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick version of himself again, but he could be a 15-and-9 center on a bad team, which is a fine thing to have while you are waiting for your young core to develop.
Lakers fans should look at Kessler and try to be patient. This is the reset nobody wanted but the roster needed. The Luka era is here.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
