Mock Trade: Thunder Give Pelicans Center Jaxson Hayes a Fresh Start

As talented as the young Oklahoma City Thunder roster is, they don't have their center of the future. Rather, they've got a rotation of undersized forwards and veteran bigs.

Due to this, the Thunder will need to acquire a young center at some point, whether that's through a trade or in an upcoming draft.

If Oklahoma City opts to go the trade route, buying low on a former lottery talent could be something to explore.

Jaxson Hayes of the New Orleans Pelicans could be the perfect trade target. An extremely athletic 7-footer with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he fits the mold of a modern NBA center.

After one successful college season at Texas, Hayes declared for the 2019 NBA Draft where he was selected No. 8 overall. With high expectations, he started off his career getting quality minutes, but his opportunities have slowly faded in New Orleans.

Now 21 years old, he's been in and out of the Pelicans rotation this season and could benefit from a fresh start. New Orleans appears to be in a position where the team would like to improve now rather than build for the future, so a prospect like Hayes may not be untouchable.

This season, Hayes has played in just 12.7 minutes per game, producing 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest. One thing that's held him back early in his NBA career is the lack of rebounding.

If the Pelicans aren't going to prioritize his development, perhaps being moved to a team like OKC could be the best thing for his career.

On the flip side, the Thunder are staying patient with their rebuild and would likely welcome a center they could groom as they take more steps towards future contention.

Hayes would be an excellent lob threat for Oklahoma City's deadly playmaking duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. As of now, the Thunder really don't have an athletic big like Hayes that could put pressure on defenses in the pick-and-roll game.

If the Pelicans are truly looking to get better now and are set on a center rotation of Jonas Valanciunas and Willy Hernangomez, perhaps a proven 3-point shooter and salary filler could be enough to pry Hayes away.

Oklahoma City’s Offer: Ty Jerome and Gabriel Deck for Jaxson Hayes

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