Very dissatisfied with his role, the Lakers starting center may consider other options?

According to ClutchPoints reporter Anthony Irwin, Los Angeles Lakers' starting inside player Jaxson Hayes was not satisfied with his role in the team at the end of the season and was not expected to remain in Los Angeles this summer.

Anthony Irwin said: Regarding players who may return, some sources said that the possibility of Hayes' return is very small. He was very dissatisfied with his sharp decline in playing opportunities in the playoffs and his disappearance of his role, and he also lost more income he could have earned. From the Lakers' perspective, they are weighing whether the team's head coach JJ Redick has lost confidence in him and how he will deal with it if the team introduces a replacement this summer or arranges him to accept an expected relegation.

In the NBA regular season this season, Hayes played 56 games in 82 games, averaging 19.5 minutes per game, averaging 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks, 0.8 turnovers and 2.4 fouls, with a shooting percentage of 72.2% and a free throw percentage of 62.2%. In the playoffs, Hayes played 4 games in total, and his average playing time dropped to 7.8 minutes. His average data was only 1.8 points, 2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.3 blocks. He also had 0.3 turnovers and 2 fouls. His shooting percentage was 37.5% and his free throw percentage was 50%.

In fact, during the time when Anthony Davis was sent away, Hayes also gained a lot of playing time and a high tactical status, and his performance on the court was also extremely outstanding. Not only does Hayes have a very good scoring ability and finishing ability at the basket, but his performance on the defensive end has also been significantly improved, and his defensive awareness and defensive effect are also constantly improving. Therefore, Hayes also firmly took the lead. However, by the end of the season and the playoffs, Hayes' performance declined sharply again, and his importance in the team became less and less. In the last game after the playoffs, he fell directly out of the team's rotation lineup.

On the one hand, Hayes got less playing time in the playoffs. The Lakers are still unwilling to give Hayes more playing time when no one is available in the interior, and even arranged the team to play the five small lineup with poor results. Hayes should find it difficult to accept this, which also shows that Redick does not trust him at all. On the other hand, Hayes's own ability can only reach this level, and the gap with the starting center of the playoff-level team is also visible to the naked eye. In fact, if the Lakers can let Hayes play the substitute center and give him a relatively stable playing time in every game, Hayes should be willing to stay in the team, which is also a relatively ideal result for both sides. I don't know if the two sides can make a compromise.