The Los Angeles Lakers are not standing still. Not even close.
Fresh off trading for Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, Rob Pelinka moved former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards. Los Angeles gets back guard Jaden Hardy and a pair of second-round picks. The Wizards take on Ayton’s contract and his questions.
This is a straightforward Lakers salary move dressed up as a basketball trade. Kessler is now the starting center in Los Angeles. Ayton was expensive and redundant. Washington had cap space and a rebuild that needed a shot creator at the five.
Ayton, still just 27 years old, averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game last season. He was a productive player. He also never quite matched the ceiling of a first overall pick, and his relationship with the Lakers’ coaching staff was reportedly rocky by the end of the season.
For the Wizards, this is an obvious win. Washington is nowhere near contending, but they now have a legitimate 25-and-10 talent to build around while their young core continues to develop. Bilal Coulibaly needs someone to space the floor and set screens. Ayton does both.
Jaden Hardy is a real get for the Lakers. He was a bargain-bin lottery talent in Dallas who never got a consistent role. In Los Angeles, he becomes an instant backup point guard behind the newly locked-up Austin Reaves. Hardy has shot-making chops and defensive length. Under JJ Redick’s system, he could be the steal of this trade.
The second-round picks are throwaways in a vacuum, but the Lakers have been light on draft capital for years. Any picks are useful picks when your farm cupboard is bare.
The bigger picture is what this tells us about Pelinka’s plan. Luka Doncic is the franchise. Reaves is the second star. Kessler is the anchor of the defense. Everything else on the roster is negotiable. Rui Hachimura is likely on his way out. Ayton is already gone. The Lakers still have a max slot open for LeBron’s replacement, and there are indications they will make a run at Kawhi Leonard or Brandon Ingram if the price is right.
This is a full-scale roster reshape. Fans still processing the LeBron departure now have a whole new team to figure out. The Lakers are betting on Luka, defense, and a shooting-heavy supporting cast. Whether that gets them past Oklahoma City is a question for April. For now, Pelinka has at least been busy.
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.
