Former Pelicans First-Round Picks and Big Men Together With The Lakers
New Orleans, LA - Former New Orleans first-round draft pick Jaxson Hayes signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported. Although the exact details of the contract are currently unavailable, reports say the agreement could include a player option in the second year. Hayes became an unrestricted free agent after New Orleans decided not to offer him a qualifying deal.
New Orleans drafted Hayes from the University of Texas as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has never lived up to his draft status' high billing. In the 2022-23 season, he played the lowest minutes of his career and had only 47 game appearances in the fewest games in his career.
During his time with the Pelicans, he averaged 7.5 points and four rebounds on 62% shooting from the field. Hayes' departure and the Pelicans not re-signing Willy Hernangomez signals the team's need for frontcourt size. New Orleans has one player over 6-9 on the current roster.
Apr 1, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) speaks with New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes (10) after he fouled forward LeBron James (6) in the first quarter of the game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Hayes gets a fresh start with the Lakers and forms an athletic frontcourt with former Pelican Anthony Davis. Los Angeles clamored for size, and Hayes fits the bill with his 7-1 height and 7-6 wingspan.
As of Saturday morning, a few options at center are available to the Pelicans. Don't rule out a trade for some size as well. New Orleans recently pushed back the decision on Garrett Temple's contract to July 7. His $5 million deal becomes guaranteed, and currently, the Pelicans are $4.5 million over the tax line.
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