Teams have begun making their offseason moves official. The Los Angeles Lakers did not join the party when the window opened on July 6, but they finally jumped in on the fun on Tuesday night. The first confirmed move of the free agency period? Acquiring Jaden Hardy via trade.
Jaden Hardy: LAKER 💜 pic.twitter.com/wAxRVYbiaE
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 8, 2026
It is incredibly notable that dealing away Deandre Ayton was the first, and just as notably, only, confirmed transaction for the Lakers thus far. Without the other moves being finalized, the Lakers are still operating as a team that has cap space moving forward. That means Hardy is still in play as a trade chip.
This was something most savvy to the workings of the cap were pointing out as the announcement of Hardy joining the Lakers came through. Several reporters and analysts, including Jovan Buha, were right on the nose when discussing the first confirmed move of this summer period.
"[Lakers] can still aggregate him as long as they’re a cap space [team]. Once they do the rest of their moves, they’d only be trade him solo for a period. Order of operations is important."
Lakers could still trade Jaden Hardy if an opportunity presents itself
There is at least some justifiable skepticism regarding whether the Lakers still intend to move on from Hardy. That came from Lakers Nation's Daniel Starkand. Starkand thought the post to announce Hardy's arrival was not something meant for a player on his way out.
The point is not a bad one. However, ruling out the possibility altogether is unwise. The NBA moves fast. Today's Lakers is tomorrow's Dallas Maverick, if the circumstances are right.
That is not a suggestion of Hardy going back to Dallas. It just speaks to remaining opportunistic in pursuit of the right move(s) being available.
The Lakers still have holes on the roster, several of them. They are circling around Jonathan Kuminga to help address the need for a starting-caliber wing. Los Angeles also landed Kevon Looney to boost the frontcourt. Even so, a better backup than that would be nothing to scoff at in negotiations either.
The main message here is simple: Job's not finished. Rob Pelinka's roster is still awaiting completion.
Hardy could figure into those plans, but the guard position is not a weak one for the Lakers after all their reported moves. They have a handful of players who can fill those minutes. That makes Hardy's future far from stable in the short-term until he is on the court donning purple and gold in October.
Add us as a preferred source on Google