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Lakers Trade Ayton for Hardy, Add Kessler $130M Deal

7/3/2026

43 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and the Wizards’ 2031-2032 second-round picks.
Ayton exercised an $8.1 million option for 2026-27 and posted 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 block in 72 starts.
The Lakers signed Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.
Hardy, 23, has two years and $12 million left and averaged 12.6 points on 44.3 % shooting in 23 games for Washington.

History

Historical Context

In 1996 the Los Angeles Lakers traded veteran center Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for the 13th-overall pick, rookie guard Kobe Bryant, a move orchestrated by GM Jerry West after scouting Bryant’s prep-to-pro workouts. The deal began a pattern of leveraging high-value contracts and draft assets—mirrored today by trades such as Deandre Ayton for Jaden Hardy—used to keep the franchise in contention.

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Story summary

The Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and the Wizards’ 2031-2032 second-round picks.
Ayton exercised an $8.1 million option for 2026-27 and posted 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 block in 72 starts.
The Lakers signed Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.
Hardy, 23, has two years and $12 million left and averaged 12.6 points on 44.3 % shooting in 23 games for Washington.

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