The Lakers may have a disgruntled player in their hands after the decision JJ Reddick to put him on the bench during the playoffs reportedly upset him.
The offseason has already begun for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Rob Perinka has a decision. Their first loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves showed a rather prominent roster hole.
Rumors and stories that the Lakers are always wild are always wild. Bill Simmons has proposed two deals for LeBron James, involving the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Fans are excited about Luka Donsic’s recent arrival in Real Madrid. There was also a chat from an agent at Austin Reeves. He warned fans who wanted to trade him.
Through all these interesting stories, the main issue with the Lakers is size. And although they are linked to some big guys, it appears they could have angered helpful people on their roster.
Jaxson Hayes looked like he could become a good NBA center after the Lakers acquired Doncic. In 18 games after Doncic’s debut, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
Despite his decent production for LA to achieve the third seed, Hayes’ minutes disappeared in the postseason. JJ Reddick chose to keep him on the bench. This could be a problem for the Lakers now.
“In terms of returning talent, sources say Jackson Hayes could be back,” writes Anthony Irwin for Clutchpoint.
“But he wasn’t excited about his role disappearing in the postseason and the money he lost due to a few minutes of decline.
“From the Lakers’ perspective, they may deal with Reddick’s lack of faith in him, how he will bring him an alternative, or the inevitable demobilization he has lined up this summer.”
Having Hayes as a backup center would be great for LA, but he can’t afford to be a starter. 25 years old is decent, but not more.
In his six NBA seasons, Jaxson averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. These numbers are far from ideal given that he is the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
If LA really wants to maximize Luka, they need to get a better starting centre. BAM Adebayo’s trade on the Miami heat has already been proposed, but that’s unlikely.
Doncic becomes an engine that can attack myopia when he gets the threat of LOB. And, as with Hayes, there’s nothing more in his game. It will be interesting to see how Rob Pelinka navigates this situation.