The Lakers and free agent center Jaxson Hayes agreed to terms on a two-year deal Saturday morning, a source confirmed to the Southern California News Group.
The second year of Hayes’ deal will be a player option, the source added, giving Hayes the option to become a free agent again next offseason.
His 2023-24 salary is expected to be around $2.2 million – the veteran’s minimum for a player with his NBA experience (four seasons going into his fifth).
The 6-foot-11 Hayes has averaged 7.5 points and 4 rebounds in 16.8 minutes (241 games) with the New Orleans Pelicans (2019-23) since being the No. 8 pick in the 2019 draft.
He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13 minutes as a reserve.
Hayes on June 14, 2022, was sentenced to 450 hours of community service, 52 weeks of domestic violence classes and three years of probation after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident with his girlfriend in July 2021 in Woodland Hills.
Once he signs his contract, Hayes will be among four newcomers.
The Lakers came to agreements with free agent guard Gabe Vincent (three years, $33 million), free agent forward Taurean Prince (one year, $4.5 millio) and free agent wing Cam Reddish (two years, veteran’s minimum) on Friday, when the free agency negotiating window opened.
They also retained a trio of their own free agents, agreeing with forward Rui Hachimura (three years, $51 million) on Friday, and then on Saturday agreeing to terms with guard D’Angelo Russell on a two-year, $37 million contract and maxing out guard Austin Reaves on a four-year, $56 million deal.
The Lakers said goodbye to two free agents from last season’s roster on Friday, when veteran guard Dennis Schröder and forward Troy Brown came to agreements with other teams.
Schröder agreed to a two-year, $26 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. Brown is headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves on a one-year deal.
Free agents can’t sign their new contracts until Thursday at 9:01 a.m. PT after the free agency moratorium period ends.
Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, Lonnie Walker IV, Wenyen Gabriel and Tristan Thompson are unrestricted free agents who finished last season with the Lakers but haven’t agreed to terms on new deals.
The Lakers will still have two standard roster spots open after all of their free agency additions become official.
