After the New Orleans Pelicans declined the $7.7 million qualifying offer on Jaxson Hayes' contract and made him an unrestricted free agent this offseason, he has agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 23-year-old center will have a player option for the second year of his contract, Wojnarowski added. His departure from New Orleans isn't very surprising after a lackluster season this past year.
In 2022-23, Hayes was limited to 47 games with two starts and he averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. He shot 55.1 percent from the field, the first time in his four-year career that he shot under 60 percent in a season.
He scored 10 or more points just eight times, recording a season-high 21 points in an overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in December.
The Texas product has been a solid rotational piece for New Orleans but not much else. He has career averages of 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds across 241 games played. The big man has provided energy and a defensive presence during his limited time on the floor.
Hayes can be a quality depth frontcourt piece for the Lakers next season, and he will likely see more significant playing time as the backup to star big man Anthony Davis.
