Fastbreak

Los Angeles Lakers Officially Sign Former 8th Overall Pick

The Los Angeles Lakers officially announced the signing of former eighth-overall pick Jaxson Hayes.

Ben Stinar

Los Angeles Lakers Officially Sign Former 8th Overall Pick
Los Angeles Lakers Officially Sign Former 8th Overall Pick /

Jaxson Hayes was the eighth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Texas and has spent his first three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans.          

This past season, he averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest while shooting 55.1% from the field in 47 regular season games. 

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that they had signed Hayes.

On July 1, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the contract is for two years. 

Via Wojnarowski: "Free agent center Jaxson Hayes has agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN."

Hayes has career averages of 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 62.2% from the field in 241 regular season games (he's also appeared in six NBA Playoff games). 

Since he is only 23 years old, Hayes still has the potential to become a legitimate role player in the NBA, and the Lakers are getting a recent top-ten pick on a very cheap deal. 

Another reason Hayes is an excellent addition is the fact that superstar big man Anthony Davis has been unable to play more than 56+ regular season games per year over the previous three seasons. 

Therefore, Hayes provides excellent insurance to take the pressure off of Davis before the postseason. 

This past year, the Lakers were the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a 43-39 record. 

They defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors in the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs but were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.  

More on the Los Angeles Lakers can be read here 

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Ben Stinar
BEN STINAR

Ben Stinar is the NBA reporter for Fastbreak on FanNation.

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