3 Lakers Who Will Be Cut Before Training Camp

2. Jaxson Hayes

Hayes is another big man who had a ton of potential coming into the league but has failed to live up to it so far in his career. After four seasons in New Orleans, he signed with the Lakers last offseason and was the primary backup to Anthony Davis all year. In 70 games played, Hayes averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.5 minutes of action per game.

The 24-year-old center didn't provide sufficient production in the minutes Davis wasn't available. On either end of the floor, he lacked the necessary athleticism, size, and overall impact.

The Lakers' defense fell off a cliff whenever Davis was off the floor as Hayes struggled to rebound the ball or protect the rim, forcing AD to play more minutes than the Lakers would ideally want him to.

In similarly mind-boggling fashion, the Lakers gave Hayes a player option for the 2024-25 season, which he opted into, further kneecapping the Lakers' flexibility this summer.

Hayes hasn't been able to show much so far in his career so it's hard to imagine him having much trade value. However, the Lakers wouldn't miss him if they were to cut him before training camp. Taking a flyer on a young center or giving a second chance to another big man would be a better use of resources for Los Angeles.