2. The Lakers could sign young big-man Jaxson Hayes
Update: The Lakers did, in fact, sign Jaxson Hayes. Hayes signed a two-year deal with the Lakers.
While the Los Angeles Lakers made savvy additions on the first day of free agency the one thing the team did not add was a big man. As it stands right now, the Lakers do not have a true center on the roster at all. That is obviously going to have to change.
Anthony Davis will play the five in key spots and in the postseason but it simply is not sustainable to have him playing the five all season. LA needs a big man that can not only play off of Davis some but can give the injury-prone star a break in the regular season.
There are not many great options so the Lakers might be inclined to take a chance on a young option. If so, Jaxson Hayes would be an excellent addition that the Lakers could try and convince to sign for a slight discount.
Hayes’ market value already is not that high so convincing him to come down a tad to play on a team that is potentially the best destination for him is realistic. Other young role players have raised their value in LA and Hayes could be next.
Plus, there is a lot of potential in Hayes’ game. This is someone who was taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and just barely turned 23 years old. LA is taking a chance on Reddish and could take a chance on Hayes next.