Lakers officially announce completion of a one-for-three trade! Hardy to wear the purple and gold No. 7, Ayton joins Wizards

On July 8, Beijing time, the Lakers officially announced the completion of the trade involving Ayton and Hardy. The Lakers sent center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks.

Hardy is 1.93 meters tall and weighs 90 kilograms. During the 2025-26 season, he played for both the Wizards and the Mavericks, appearing in a total of 57 games (4 starts), averaging 15.8 minutes, 9.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1 assist per game.

The 24-year-old player has spent four NBA seasons with the Mavericks (2022-2026) and the Wizards (2026). In the regular season, he has appeared in a total of 235 games (19 starts), averaging 14.9 minutes, 8.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 38.6%.

Hardy was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. The Mavericks later acquired his draft rights via trade. After graduating from high school, he joined the NBA G League Ignite for the 2021-22 season.

In that season, he started all 24 games. In 12 regular-season games, he averaged 21.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 32.8 minutes per game. He also played in 12 Showcase Cup games, averaging 32.2 minutes, 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals. Hardy scored 20+ points in 13 games, including two with over 30 points.

Hardy will wear the Lakers' purple and gold jersey with the number 7 in the new season.

In the 2025-26 season, Ayton played 72 regular-season games for the Lakers, all starts, averaging 27.2 minutes, 12.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block per game.