The Washington Wizards were silent for the first few days of the NBA’s free agency period, with only rumors swirling up until Friday morning. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a trade that will send Deandre Ayton to Washington in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks.
The 27-year-old will now be joining one of the most intriguing young cores in the league today. However, what does the 2018 first overall pick bring to Washington, and more importantly, what should fans expect his role to be?
What Does Deandre Ayton Bring to the Washington Wizards?
The former Laker will be joining an elite frontcourt room featuring 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis and rising two-way threat Alex Sarr. The Wizards were in desperate need of a true backup big man, and they found a starting-caliber center to fill that role. With Los Angeles bringing in Walker Kessler and Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ayton found himself a new home, and possibly, one of the best opportunities he’s had in his entire career.
His nightly double-double capabilities, paired with his postseason experience, give the Wizards yet another reliable performer when needed. While last season was a down year for the big man, he’s still plenty capable of providing Washington with an elite offensive lob threat and an exceptional rebounder. He’ll also be able to step in and guard the paint similarly to the starting bigs.
Across Ayton’s eight-year career, he’s averaged a double-double, with 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and a block per game. However, during his lone season in Los Angeles, Ayton averaged 12.5 points, eight rebounds, and one block across his 72 appearances with the Lakers.
Ayton’s Fit in D.C.
Ayton will be joining Davis and Sarr to make one of the league’s most formidable front-court trios. While Davis and Sarr will claim the spotlight, Ayton will be joining a bench headlined by young talent. Meaning, he will be a focal point on offense for the reserve unit, but also capable of joining the starting lineup in case of injuries. With the Lakers, Ayton was looked at as a fourth option, primarily getting looks off rebounds and lobs.
Another major pro of Ayton joining Washington is his experience. In his short time in the league, Ayton has experienced many highs and lows. During his time in Phoenix, he was one of the biggest assets to the Suns, helping lead the team to three straight playoff appearances and an NBA Finals run during the 2020-21 season. While his time in Portland wasn’t competitive, Ayton put up two double-double seasons while being one of the Trail Blazers’ most reliable players.
Now in Washington, Ayton will take on another responsibility, turning his experience into a mentoring role for the young players in D.C. While it will take time for him to adjust, Washington will need Ayton to become a true leader off the bench to contend in this new-look Eastern Conference.
Ayton’s Potential Role
What makes Ayton dangerous in D.C is his role as a primary backup. Over the course of his career, Ayton has only come off the bench in seven games, which puts him up against opponents’ best big men every single night. Now in a reserve role, Ayton provides an opponent with a hard decision to make: either leave your starters in and risk foul trouble or fatigue, or give Ayton an upper hand on offense with your backups.
The Wizards will most likely utilize Ayton with the second unit. Tristan Vukcevic showed some signs of growth during the second half of the season, but he’s still not capable of playing consistent minutes off the bench. With Ayton, Washington will essentially have three starting-caliber big men in the rotation, with him being able to step in if Davis or Sarr were to get hurt.
The Last Word
Grabbing Ayton for the pricetag of Hardy helps fill out the Wizards’ roster needs while not overspending. Ayton steps into a brand new system, which will provide him with ample offensive opportunities and plenty of mismatches coming off the bench. Washington continues to build its roster around guard of the future Trae Young and Davis, and is gearing up to contend for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
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