When Deandre Ayton pick up his $8.1 million player option for the upcoming season, it came as little surprise to the Lakers.
Assuming Ayton would opt in didn’t deter Rob Pelinka and his staff from still going after some of the top free agents on the market. They eventually landed for Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler on a 4-year, $130 million deal.
But what did that mean for Ayton? Especially after Pelinka and co. landed former Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili as well.
Now we have our answer.
In a stunning free agency move, the Lakers are trading Ayton to the Washington Wizards, a source confirmed to the California Post.
Coming to Los Angeles in place of the former No. 1 overall pick is Jaden Hardy and two Wizards’ second-round picks (2031 and 2032).
Ayton’s decision was one of the biggest X-factors of the Lakers’ offseason considering the team’s desire to find a new starting center and his impact on their cap space.
Ayton, the 2018 No. 1 draft pick who’ll turn 28 in July, averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds in a career-high 72 regular games.
He was instrumental to the Lakers’ first round playoff victory against the Rockets, averaging 11.8 points (60.4% shooting) and 10.8 rebounds in the six-game series.
But Ayton was also a polarizing player because of his inconsistent motor and his play style not fitting the archetype the Lakers need. Luka Doncic has long craved a rim-running, rim-protecting center who he can dominate with in the pick-and-roll — two things Ayton wasn’t and never even attempted to become.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
