The Lakers just moved Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and a pair of second-round picks in 2031 and 2032. On the surface it looks like a salary dump. Dig a little and it looks a lot worse.
Ayton signed with the Lakers last summer expecting to be a key part of their frontcourt rebuild. He never fit. Rick Carlisle and JJ Redick could not get him to play with any consistency and the fit next to Luka was awkward from day one.
Now LA is essentially paying Washington to take him. Jaden Hardy has some scoring pop off the bench, but he is not a rotation lock and the picks are so far down the line they may as well be Monopoly money.
For the Wizards, this is a fine gamble. Ayton is still only 27 and there is a version of him that can average 20 and 10 for a rebuilding team. Washington has zero pressure to win right now, which is the environment where Ayton has always looked his best.
The Wizards also get a chance to flip him at the deadline if he plays well. A rental center who can score and rebound would fetch decent interest from a contender in February.
The Lakers are the story here though. They are clearing every asset off the books to make room for whatever their next big swing looks like. With LeBron officially heading out of town, this is roster demolition in real time.
Luka is going to have to carry a very thin roster this season. There is no real backup center on the roster after this trade, and the frontcourt options in free agency are ugly.
Ayton to Washington is the kind of deal that gets overlooked in the media cycle but has real implications for both teams. The Lakers are declaring they are done with the current build. The Wizards are proving they will take on any project as long as it comes with future picks.
Expect more Lakers moves before opening night. This was just the appetizer.
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.
