NBA Free Agency: Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes to Spurs?
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The San Antonio Spurs have a lot of cap space to work with this summer as they build a team around Victor Wembanyama.
The team may not spend all of it to try and contend this year, but the Spurs should look at what's in front of them and attempt to make like for Wembanyama a little bit easier.
A player that could do that is New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes, who is a restricted free agent this summer.
"Hayes is the rare big who is best served playing like a 4 on defense and 5 on offense," Bleacher Report writes.
While Hayes struggled this past season, averaging a career-low five points per game, the former No. 8 overall pick could be the perfect big man to pair with Wembanyama. As a 7-4 center, Wembanyama would best be served to protect the rim, but as a playmaker, he would play more on the perimeter on offense. Hayes would allow Wembanyama to play his best position on both ends of the floor.
Given his restricted free agent status, the Pelicans would have the opportunity to match any offer given to him in free agency, but New Orleans has reason to let Hayes walk.
"Carving out more minutes for Hayes is tough," Bleacher Report writes. "Jonas Valančiūnas and Larry Nance Jr. are in front of him at the 5, and New Orleans doesn't have the motivation to favor dual-big combinations when Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy III all soak up reps at the 4."
If the Spurs can pull it off, signing Hayes would be a low-risk move that could warrant big rewards if it works out.
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