The Washington Wizards announced today they acquired center Deandre Ayton in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks.
Ayton (7-0, 252) has played 470 career games (463 starts) in his eight-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers. He holds career averages of 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block per game, while shooting .599 from the field – which currently ranks as the eighth-best field goal percentage in league history. In 72 games with the Lakers last season, he averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game on a career-high .671 clip from the field.
The first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Ayton earned first-team All-Rookie honors after averaging a double-double and shooting .585 from the field, the fourth-best mark by a rookie in league history. The Arizona product has averaged a double-double in seven of eight seasons, one of six players in the league to have at least seven such seasons since 2018.
Hardy was acquired in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5, 2026. He appeared in 23 games for Washington, averaging 12.6 points per game.
