In a pivotal NBA free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers plan to make some upgrades to the frontcourt and find a suitable replacement for Jaxson Hayes. As the big man hits free agency, he was considered a lock to leave the organization, but the latest intel suggests that he may actually re-sign with the Lakers on a relatively affordable contract ($10-15 million over three years).
“The Lakers likely will try to do better here, and Hayes will likely try to find a place where he’s more appreciated, but I’m not sure we should rule out a reunion,” wrote John Hollinger of The Athletic. “Between L.A.’s early Bird rights on Hayes and the limited money on the market for supplemental centers like him, these two may find that continuing their uncomfortable marriage remains better than the alternative.”
After finishing third in the West standings this season, the Lakers had high hopes for the upcoming playoffs. Unfortunately, they matched up against the Timberwolves in the first round, who proceeded to beat them in five games en route to the Western Conference Finals.
Now, the Lakers are focused on the offseason and building a proper team around their young superstar, Luka Doncic. His arrival has marked the start of a new era for the organization, but it also came at a cost: Anthony Davis. Without Davis or anyone to replace him, the Lakers had to rely on Hayes throughout the season, which led to mixed results.
In 56 games, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 72.2% shooting. He made 35 starts for the team, but his role took a shift in the playoffs, when he went from 19.5 minutes per game down to just 7.8 minutes. He fell out of JJ Redick’s rotation and was deemed unplayable against the Timberwolves, who abused the Lakers’ lack of depth at the position.
As an unrestricted free agent this summer, many fans assumed the Lakers would just let Hayes walk and never look back. In reality, they may end up bringing him back, depending on their signings in a limited market. As it stands, there are several trade candidates the Lakers are expected to consider, including Nic Claxton and Daniel Gafford.
In free agency, however, there aren’t many centers available. If the Lakers are short on money and Hayes is still on the board, they could just bring him back to fill out the frontcourt. At the very least, he could be brought to play a backup role, which is much better-suited to his level.
Hayes’ future really depends on what contracts teams will offer this summer. If the market is low enough that he’s still affordable for the Lakers, he may be their best choice to help fill out their frontcourt and provide a steady rim presence for Luka Doncic.
Ideally, the Lakers will be making other moves as well, and their roster could look drastically different by the time it’s said and done. The important thing is that they fill every position and find the kind of players who will thrive under JJ Redick. Best of all, at just 25 years old, Jax still has time to grow and develop his game to become more of what the Lakers need. Unless they can find someone better, they’d be better off keeping him around for the foreseeable future.
