The Los Angeles Lakers are trading middle Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in change for Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday.
Ayton is being traded simply days after he picked up his $8.1 million player option for the upcoming season. The 7-footer averaged 12.5 factors, 8 rebounds and 1 block per sport in his lone season with the Lakers, enjoying a career-high 72 video games. He initially signed a two-year, $16.2 million contract that included his participant choice for the 2026-27 season.
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However, the eight-year veteran turned expendable after the Lakers acquired center Walker Kessler and inked him to a four-year, $130 million contract in a sign-and-trade take care of the Utah Jazz.
Kessler, who will flip 25 on July 26, solely appeared in 5 video games for the Jazz final season whereas recovering from surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum in his left shoulder, averaging 14.4 factors and 10.8 rebounds. In his 4 NBA seasons, he has averaged 9.5 factors, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists enjoying 25.3 minutes per sport.
Additionally, the Lakers added 6-foot-9 ahead/middle Sandro Mamukelashvili, signing him to a four-year, $52 million contract. Last season with the Toronto Raptors, the 27-year-old averaged 11.2 factors and 4.9 rebounds whereas capturing 39% on 296 3-point makes an attempt.
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The Lakers are taking a look at free-agent facilities Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney for frontcourt dept after trading Ayton, according to Charania.
Ayton, who turns 28 on July 23, was the No. 1 total choose within the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns out of Arizona. He performed 5 seasons with the Suns earlier than being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team deal that despatched Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Hardy, 23, performed three seasons with Luka Dončić on the Dallas Mavericks from 2022-25. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.6 factors in 23 video games for the Wizards final season after being acquired from the Mavericks with Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum in an eight-player blockbuster deal.
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Prior to becoming a member of the Wizards, Hardy appeared in 34 video games for the Mavericks, averaging 6.9 factors. Altogether, he hit 40% of his 296 3-point photographs.
In 4 NBA seasons, Hardy has scored 8.4 factors per sport with .464/.386/.756 capturing splits. He was initially a second-round choose within the 2022 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings after enjoying with the G League Ignite, and traded to the Mavericks shortly thereafter.