2019 NBA Mock Draft: Charlotte moves up thanks to a Tankathon simulation
. C. Texas. Jaxson Hayes. 12. player. 20
An interesting idea was brought to our attention on the debut episode of “Tampering” over at The Athletic this week, and it makes the idea of Hayes to the Lakers a bit more reasonable. Host Sam Amick brought up the potential that unless Los Angeles is able to make the splash it wants (i.e. trading for Anthony Davis), they could swing down a few notches on the free agent totem pole and build the old-fashioned way around LeBron James.
That’s right, if Davis isn’t wearing purple and gold by the end of the summer, we could see more traditional James role players like Nikola Mirotic head to the west coast. Other guys along those lines include Malcolm Brogdon or even DeMarcus Cousins, who should be thought of as a role player forevermore. Amick wasn’t necessarily reporting an exact plan sitting on a whiteboard inside the Lakers’ offices, but he was discussing the larger context of how L.A. plans to approach the offseason. And it makes a lot of sense.
We know how you win with James. Despite being 34, the blueprint remains the same. It’s why Davis was so enticing — think of him in the Kevin Love/Tristan Thompson role instead of JaVale McGee. But even if the Lakers can’t pull of the Davis trade, it makes a whole lot more sense to find B-level stars who actually fit with James than to chase fake superstars like Jimmy Butler or Nikola Vucevic simply to impress a weary fanbase.
To that end, Hayes would be a fantastic option to add to the Lakers’ young core. He’s not as stretchy as Davis or Cousins, but as a traditional option off the bench during the remainder of James’ career, he would be a fun energy big man with a high ceiling to be much more.