The Los Angeles Lakers traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards on Friday, July 3, 2026, in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two future second-round draft picks.
The move clears a path for the Lakers to target free agent centers, with Andre Drummond emerging as a primary option.
Lakers Shift Focus to Backup Center
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Los Angeles receives Hardy along with second-round picks in 2031 and 2032 from Washington.
The transaction allows the Lakers to shift their offseason focus toward securing a backup center to complement Walker Kessler, their primary frontcourt addition.
Charania explicitly linked the Lakers to Philadelphia 76ers free agent Andre Drummond as a key target.
"The Lakers will now focus on finding Walker Kessler's backup on the market -- with centers such as Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney among those being considered," Charania wrote.
Drummond is widely expected to leave Philadelphia after the 76ers signed former New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti, who will split backup duties behind Joel Embiid with Adem Bona.
Last season, Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 47.2% across 63 games for the 76ers.
The 32-year-old two-time All-Star remains one of the NBA's premier rebounders and has been integrating an improving three-point shot into his game.
