In early July, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to deal Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jaden Hardy and a pair of second-round picks (2031 and 2032) shortly after Ayton exercised his 2026-27, $8.1 million player option.
While Ayton certainly provided the Lakers with positive stretches of play, his inconsistencies, primarily as a forceful play-finisher and attentive defensive anchor, seemingly rendered him not worth the frustration.
As such, the Lakers sent him out and are content
entering the season with Kevon Looney at backup center behind Walker Kessler.
Apparently, Los Angeles was so willing to wipe its hands of the Ayton Experience that it didn’t even expect to fetch a notable return. The fact Washington doled out two second-round picks caught the Lakers off-guard in the best of ways, according to a recent article from Dan Woike of The Athletic.
“I ran this by a rival NBA executive, who spoke under condition of anonymity so they could speak freely about another team’s roster, who felt this was too far down the list,” Woike wrote. “On the surface, the move was a big win for a Lakers team that was looking for outs after Ayton picked up his player option. Whether or not Hardy matters this season, the draft capital brought in was a pleasant surprise for the Lakers’ front office.”
Ayton’s mercurial play and temperament appear to have contributed to the departures from each of his first three NBA homes. The Phoenix Suns spent years trying to address it while the Portland Trail Blazers were willing to buy him out of his previous contract.
The Lakers are the latest team opting to divorce themselves from Ayton and were more than happy to unexpectedly net a couple second-round picks in the process. Maybe his Wizards tenure will be different.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
