Los Angeles Lakers have quietly won NBA Free Agency with 7 key moves

Jaxson Hayes (2 years, vet minimum)

In what could end up being one of the best value contracts signed in NBA Free Agency this offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers taking a flier on Jaxson Hayes could end up working out in a big way. Through the first few years of his career, Hayes has been wildly inconsistent and that’s one of the bigger (basketball) reasons why the New Orleans Pelicans allowed him to walk in free agency this offseason – he also has had some legal issues to complicate his uneven play.

Nevertheless, if Hayes can focus on basketball and put his past in the past, there’s a chance that he could turn his career around in Los Angeles. Hayes is still just 23 years old, an intriguing athlete as a 7-foot center, and could be put in a great position to be successful while learning under the tutelage of Anthony Davis.

During his best season with the Pelicans (2021-22), Hayes averaged nine points and five rebounds on 62 percent shooting from the field in just 20 minutes per game. If Hayes can replicate some of that same consistency and production with the Lakers this upcoming season, he could end up being one of the more underrated signings of the offseason.