The Los Angeles Lakers are trading halfway Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards successful speech for Jaden Hardy and 2 aboriginal second-round picks successful 2031 and 2032, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday.
Ayton is being traded conscionable days aft he picked up his $8.1 cardinal subordinate option for the upcoming season. The 7-footer averaged 12.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1 artifact per crippled successful his lone play with the Lakers, playing a career-high 72 games. He primitively signed a two-year, $16.2 cardinal declaration that included the enactment for the 2026-27 season.
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However, the eight-year seasoned became expendable aft the Lakers acquired halfway Walker Kessler and agreed to a four-year, $130 cardinal declaration with him successful a sign-and-trade woody with the Utah Jazz.
Kessler, who volition crook 25 connected July 26, lone appeared successful 5 games for the Jazz past play portion recovering from country to repair a torn labrum successful his near shoulder, averaging 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. In his 4 NBA seasons, helium has averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists playing 25.3 minutes per game.
Additionally, the Lakers added 6-foot-9 forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili, signing him to a four-year, $52 cardinal contract. Last play with the Toronto Raptors, the 27-year-old averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds portion shooting 39% connected 296 3-point attempts.
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The Lakers are looking astatine imaginable free-agent centers Andre Drummond, Jonas Valančiūnas and Kevon Looney for frontcourt extent aft trading Ayton, according to Charania.
Ayton, who turns 28 connected July 23, was the No. 1 wide prime successful the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns retired of Arizona. He played 5 seasons with the Suns earlier being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as portion of a three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Hardy, 23, played 3 seasons with Luka Dončić connected the Dallas Mavericks from 2022-25. The 6-foot-3 defender averaged 12.6 points successful 23 games for the Wizards past play aft being acquired from the Mavericks with Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum successful an eight-player blockbuster deal.
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Prior to joining the Wizards, Hardy appeared successful 34 games for the Mavericks, averaging 6.9 points. Altogether, helium deed 40% of his 262 3-point shots.
In 4 NBA seasons, Hardy has scored 8.4 points per crippled with .464/.386/.756 shooting splits. He was primitively a second-round prime successful the 2022 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings aft playing with the G League Ignite and traded to the Mavericks soon thereafter.
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