The Lakers may already be floating the idea of moving Jaden Hardy again, even though he only arrived in July.
That possibility came from Lakers insider Jovan Buha, who said on Buha’s Block Podcast that Los Angeles could be exploring a path that sends Hardy back to Washington in a deal built around either Bilal Coulibaly or Justin Champagnie. Buha framed it as a hypothetical, not as a sign that the Lakers and Wizards are actively working through a trade.
“The funny thing is the Lakers are going to be trying to trade Jaden Hardy. So I don’t know if Washington wants to take him back and what that price would.”
“I mean are the Lakers just going to end up sending back the Wizards picks and get Coulibaly or Champagnie instead of Hardy, like that would kind of be funny, but I think those are a couple names that could make some sense.”
Hardy’s path to Los Angeles was pretty recent. In July, the Lakers sent Deandre Ayton to Washington in exchange for Hardy and second-round picks in 2031 and 2032.
On paper, Hardy still brings something useful. The former Dallas Mavericks guard played 57 games between Dallas and Washington last season and put up 9.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while hitting 39.7% of his threes. That kind of shooting makes him a candidate to give a bench unit some juice, especially alongside playmakers like Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Even so, the Lakers already have several guards who can score, which could leave Hardy as the piece they’re most willing to move if they decide to chase help elsewhere on the roster.
Coulibaly would give them a very different look. At 22, the French forward offers size, length, and defensive versatility, the kind of tools that could help a Lakers team looking for another athletic perimeter stopper. Next to Doncic and Reaves, he could focus on guarding wings, running the floor, and finishing the chances those two create.
Champagnie would be the other path. The 25-year-old forward could add size and versatility on the wing without requiring the same kind of asset commitment that might be needed for Coulibaly.
Of course, any deal would depend on Washington’s appetite to talk, and on whether the second-round picks from the Ayton trade would be enough to get something done.
The Lakers have already made several changes to the roster, but more movement could still come as the season unfolds and the team sorts out what it really needs. For now, though, Hardy is still a Laker, and Buha’s comments amount to speculation rather than a trade clock ticking down.
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Okpara is still not viewed as an immediate rotation piece, which is no surprise on a roster with more established size ahead of him. Even so, he has looked like the sort of developmental addition who can make a case with every clean rebound, rim contest and extra possession, and the next step may be finding the right balance between patience and opportunity as he works his way through the G League. [Read more 🡒]