Deandre Ayton posted 12.5 ppg and 8 rpg last season with the Lakers.
The Lakers continued their frontcourt makeover on Friday, reportedly trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Wizards will send Jaden Hardy and a pair of second-round picks (2031 and ’32) to the Lakers for Ayton. Before free agency began, Ayton opted into his deal for the 2026-27 season, but the Lakers have moved on from the former No. 1 overall pick after one season. In 2025-26, Ayton posted 12.5 ppg, 8 rpg and 1 bpg in 72 games (all starts) for the Lakers.
Wizards receive:
Lakers receive:
- Jaden Hardy
- Second-round picks in 2031 & 2032
The Lakers will now focus on finding Walker Kessler’s backup on the market — with centers such as Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney among those being considered, sources said.
The Wizards took a patient approach to the start of free agency and now land a… https://t.co/3GEA9Wx7gY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2026
Ayton is on the move for the second time in as many offseasons. Last summer, the Lakers signed Ayton after he was bought out of his deal by the Portland Trail Blazers. His season with the Lakers was perhaps best known for a game he had in January vs. Toronto.
Ayton became one of two players in Lakers history when he went 10-for-10 on shooting and had 13 rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain (March 11, 1969) and Mitch Kupchak (Nov. 20, 1981) as the only ones to do it in Lakers history.
In Washington, Ayton will join a big man rotation that includes Anthony Davis (a former No. 1 overall pick himself), Alex Sarr (who went No. 2 in 2024) and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa (selected in the 2026 Draft).
Additionally, the Lakers have freed up even more room in the frontcourt with Ayton’s trade. Star forward and former Finals MVP LeBron James informed the Lakers on Tuesday that he plans to play elsewhere next season, altering the team’s course this summer.
Guard Austin Reaves reportedly agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal to stay with the team. He will pair with star guard Luka Dončić and Walker Kessler (whom the team also added via a reported trade) to form the Lakers’ core for their next iteration.
Reaves has grown into one of the NBA’s most effective scorers and playmakers, increasing his scoring average in every season of his five-year career. Aside from adding Kessler, the Lakers also reached reported offseason deals with Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili to help deepen their rotation.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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