The Deandre Ayton trade might not be the most consequential trade of the NBA offseason, it sure might one of the funniest.
The Los Angeles Lakers decided to send the former No. 1 overall pick Ayton packing this week. On Friday, they agreed to trade Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and two future second-round draft picks.
In response, fans all made the same joke over social media. They joked that Rob Pelinka was finally getting Anthony Davis the center that he wanted.
Rob Pelinka saw AD hating and said here’s your center lil bro
— NBA (@NBAWAY0FFS) July 3, 2026
Deandre MF Ayton
Well Pelinka finally gave AD the center he’s been asking for by trading Deandre Ayton to Washington
— JSM (@JSMonYT) July 3, 2026
Pelinka know what he’s doing sending Ayton to Washington after AD sub tweeted him, he lowkey hilarious
— AC (@acsteezy99) July 3, 2026
Rob Pelinka is a real troll. AD said he wanted a center and Pelinka shipped DeAndre Ayton
— Tayvo 4 Mayor (@tayvo_g) July 3, 2026
The 10-time NBA All-Star Davis, 33, used to play for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019-25 and once famously asked the Lakers GM Pelinka for a center so that he would no longer have to play at the position. Instead though, Davis ended up getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Luka Doncic blockbuster and eventually ended up on the Wizards via another trade in February of this year.
As for the seven-footer Ayton, 27, he averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Lakers last season. Ayton did have some embarrassing sequences down the stretch of the season though and is now being dumped by the Lakers for added cap flexibility after just opting into his $8.1 million player option for next year.
Los Angeles has overhauled their frontcourt after acquiring Walker Kessler and parting ways with both Ayton and Jaxson Hayes (with another big man signing perhaps still yet to come). As for Davis in Washington, he does indeed finally have the center that he was looking for courtesy of Pelinka (technically).
