The Los Angeles Lakers offseason saw a ton of roster changes, and one player the team lost out on was free agent Jaxson Hayes, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Utah Jazz.
Though Hayes wasn’t a massive contributor for the Lakers during his tenure in the Purple and Gold, he had a distinct role and was the exact type of center that thrives on the court with Luka Doncic.
But as Los Angeles brought in Walker Kessler in a deal with the Jazz, they seemed perfectly fine with letting Hayes walk in free agency. That decision not to bring him back has subsequently been criticized, and what was deemed the Lakers’ ‘biggest offseason regret’ could come back to haunt them sooner rather than later.
Los Angeles’ Jaxson Hayes Free Agency Decision Deemed ‘Biggest Offseason Regret’
After playing the last three seasons with the Lakers, Hayes opted for free agency and a change of scenery, as he agreed to a deal with Utah.
Los Angeles had a chance to bring him back, but didn’t. That decision, according to Svyatoslav Rovenchuk of LakeShowLife.com, is a move that the team is already appearing to regret.
“Hayes signed a two-year, $12 million deal to join the Utah Jazz in free agency. The move came after Los Angeles surrendered the haul they did to nab Walker Kessler away from Utah. Someone in the Jazz’s front office surely had a good laugh about getting just a bit of payback by taking away a valuable role player from the Lakers,” he wrote.
“The real disappointment for the Lakers would be not finding a way to secure both. Hayes was far from perfect as a backup, but there was an established chemistry with Luka Doncic that should have encouraged the partnership to continue. Alas, Los Angeles could not get it done.”
As seen during his time in Dallas, Doncic plays well with athletic seven-footers like Hayes, who can play the two-man game and attack the rim. He showed that while the two were on the court for the Lakers last season, even slotted in as the team’s main center amid Deandre Ayton‘s struggles.
However, the Lakers let Hayes walk in free agency. They instead used cap space to sign other wings and guards, now without a backup center who fits well next to the franchise star.
“Had they found a way to keep Hayes around, there would be a much more natural fit to soak up quality minutes behind Kessler. All the work done by the former Laker to secure that Slovenian passport did not manage to lock in a long-term future in Los Angeles. Both sides might be worse off for it.”
Lakers Center Depth Looks A Lot Different
Last year, the Lakers’ center options were Ayton, who was chiefly the starter, Hayes as the backup, and Maxi Kleber as the reserve.
Now heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, the team’s center depth looks completely different.
They traded four first-round picks to the Jazz for Kessler, also signing him to a four-year, $130 million contract extension in what was a massive gamble for Rob Pelinka and the front office.
They also signed three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney to fill the backup role. Unlike Hayes, Looney is a traditional big. He’s not an athletic lob threat, and though his pick-and-roll game is solid, it lacks the explosiveness of a guy like Hayes.
Kessler and Looney are now the only two true centers on the Lakers roster right now. Trading minor assets for Ayton is understandable, but not giving Hayes a near-minimum deal feels like a bad decision for the franchise.
Kessler has the ability to fill that big man role that has proven to work well with Doncic, but they already had Hayes on the roster. Losing him could come back to bite the Lakers, especially after their entire offseason was centered around putting together a roster that fits well with the Slovenian superstar.
But truly, only time will tell if the Lakers made a mistake in letting Hayes leave. He could be a dud in Utah, but after what he showed in Los Angeles, he might have been more valuable playing in the Purple and Gold.
Lakers Criticized For Losing Luka Doncic’s Athletic Lob Partner: ‘Biggest Offseason Regret’