The Los Angeles Lakers had to resort to starting Jaxson Hayes at center after they traded away Anthony Davis. He was the only option that they had left at that point.
Hayes played the best basketball of his career at that point, but they don’t want to bring him back to be the starter. They need someone who can protect the rim a little bit better than he can
That doesn’t mean that Hayes doesn’t have a little bit of value around the league. He could be a nice signing for a team looking for some depth at center.
According to The Athletic, Hayes could command $5.2 million in the open market if he were to test free agency. That’s not a massive amount of money, so he might consider returning to LA.
A reunion would probably be what the Lakers prefer if they can get him at a lower number than that. He could come back to be the backup. He’s pretty solid in limited minutes.
What the Lakers do not want to do is have him return as the starting center. They have to figure out a way to get a trade for a better center next season. They need someone who can protect the rim.
Hayes excels at catching lobs and running to the rim. That’s what he’s best at. Defensively, he can block some shots, but he’s not strong enough to handle some of the true bruisers at that spot.
Hayes might still take a look at the open market to see if he can earn more money than that. He deserves a chance to figure out what he is worth as a young center.
The Lakers are going to focus on getting the best center that they can in a trade. They have plenty of expiring contracts that they can use to help acquire the kind of player that they want.
This season with the Lakers, Hayes averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and one assist per game. He shot 72.2 percent from the field.
