LA Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka re-signed Jaxson Hayes to a one-year $3.45 million contract, 120% of the six-year veteran minimum salary. It was slightly above the veteran minimum pay and will hurt the Lakers’ flexibility. The move handicaps LA from using the full Bi-Annual exception (BAE) worth $5.1 million. The Lakers now have $3.9 million from the exception available to use on free agents.
The Purple and Gold still need upgrades after signing center Deandre Ayton and forward Jake LaRavia. They need better wing depth, with De’Anthony Melton as one of the prospects under their radar. Despite past injury history, Melton’s market value is widely believed to be around the full BAE.
The Lakers are not under the threat of losing Melton to another team after offering Jaxson Hayes a pay bump. LA must trade players or cut and waive Jordan Goodwin’s partially guaranteed deal to access the full BAE.
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