“Keep Hayes & Trade Christian Wood”: Rob Pelinka Advised to Dump Ex-Mavs Star’s $3 Million Contract After Lackluster Season

After losing to the Denver Nuggets multiple times in the playoffs, the Lakers knew they didn’t have the resources they needed at the time. There was a desperation in them, a need for someone to step up as a superstar. Since then, the Laker Nation has been waiting for this moment in the offseason, to get an opportunistic trade their way, in hopes they can alleviate some of their problems.

Of course, they need to keep their hopes high right now since, no matter how great he is, LeBron James is in the twilight of his illustrious career. The entire team is in a time crunch. They need to act, and they need to act fast. So, they took some quick actions in the drafts and assessed their roster. And Jovan Buha has some comments about these actions!

The Lakers reporter for The Athletic first explained the trade opportunities that had opened up when D’Angelo Russell opted into his $18.7 million contract today. But to have another elite talent, the Purple and Gold needs to venture further. According to Buha, the best way to make the salary available was to deplete their center depth. This means either trading Jaxson Hayes or Christian Wood along with Russell.

If it were up to him to choose, Buha said “I would keep Hayes and trade Wood. I think the version we saw of Hayes over the second half of the season was better than Wood was in the beginning of the season. They kind of had opposite seasons. Wood got worse throughout the course of the season and eventually got injured…”. 

Wood’s move to the Lakers was wildly celebrated because of what he had shown he was capable of. At one time, the Rockets hailed him as the kingpin when he averaged a career-high 21 points. Wood provides flawless floor spacing as a center and allows a different dynamic to run on the floor when Anthony Davis is resting. He was expected to retain his healthy production and enhance the Lakers’ three-point offense.

Instead, he never found his ideal momentum. Before picking up a season-ending knee injury, Wood averaged just 6.9 points while shooting 30.7% from three. This came a season after he set the NBA world ablaze besides Luka Doncic, averaging 17 points as the second fiddle on the Mavericks. Wood has also impressed with his gritty defending and scrappy inside offense.

Christian Wood is scheduled to earn $3 million from the Lakers this season. While it isn’t a significant sum, the Purple and Gold require every additional penny to formulate a blockbuster trade. Alongside Russell, Wood’s contract could be parlayed to increment the salary package they can offer in exchange for the coveted third star.

Jaxson Hayes isn’t the ideal center either

Hayes was never meant to be the backup center in theory. He was the fringe option behind Christian Wood. Since the former Mavericks center couldn’t avoid injury troubles, Hayes was elevated to a higher role. Coincidentally, his high-octane play helped the Lakers to some degree.

Hayes’ electric athleticism made him a lurking lob threat. With disciplined commanders among their ranks, the budding center got most of his output near the rim. Moreover, his incredible vertical reach allows him to parry shots and assist the defensive units, especially on opposition fast breaks.

In his limited minutes on the floor, Hayes only averaged 4.3 points but his conversion rate was stunning at 72%. His standing reach and willingness to box out also let him grab a chunk of rebounds which could benefit the Lakers. But even then, the Lakers need someone who can be more consistent.

As Buha stated too, the Purple and Gold were devoid of a defensively engineered center. Apart from Davis, they don’t have a presence that can command the paint in open action. Maybe signing a veteran center tasked with a single job of defending could give the roster the stability it needs and enable Redick to distribute his resources effectively. The Lakers could look at players such s Isaiah Hartenstein or Andre Drummond and sign them to the veteran’s minimum to fill out the demands of the roster.

Who do you think the Lakers should target as a reliable five behind Davis? Let us know your views in the comments below. Also, if you are interested in knowing more about the Shaq-Kobe rivalry, make sure to watch our exclusive conversation with Leonard Armato in the video below.