"Got Ayton for free and called it a day": Lakers fans berate Rob Pelinka for giving Jaxson Hayes a pay bump, compromising Bi-Annual exception

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.

Most fans didn't want Hayes to return, especially in a rotation role. As things stand, he's Ayton's direct backup and not a third-string center. Hayes had a phenomenal stretch in February and March before an injury slowed him down the rest of the way. He was a non-factor in the playoffs, too.

With this move becoming official on Sunday, Lakers fans fumed at Rob Pelinka for his offer to Jaxson Hayes with the following reactions:

R

@Tiffosi

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Pelinka got Ayton for free and called it a day. He probably thinks this roster is enough, when it's not even enough to make the play in

Mark Gurman

@markgurman

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Again, we have a Kobe loyalist running a $10 billion organization into the ground and nobody in a position of power is calling him out. I continue to ask why.

Jake Hurricane

@BigJakeCLE

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Pelinka is pathetic.

Matthew Hatten

@MattHatten0623

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This is so pathetic by Pelinka, lebron luka all of em, AD already got free. Happy for him, can't wait for LeBron and Luka to both be free

Mikeyy

@feelinglike_KB

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I’m gonna pretend to be delusional and convince myself a trade is coming because Pelinka can’t be that dumb

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Insider explains Lakers GM Rob Pelinka's decision to sign Jaxson Hayes over the minimum

The LA Lakers had to address the center position this offseason, and they did that with Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes as their two signings at the position. LA hasn't used any of its trade assets yet to make a move, maintaining long-term flexibility.

That may have led to the Hayes signing. The Lakers are looking to have as much flexibility as possible in 2027 when the free agency gets interesting with several superstars potentially hitting the market. Hayes was an easy target for this year as the Lakers had the option to sign him on a one-year deal.

According to Eric Pincus, early bird rights gave the Lakers a chance to sign him for two years, but they chose to maximize his minimum deal and sign him for one season. It's the most they could offer him without using the BAE.

The Lakers still have a chance to open up the full BAE, but it remains to be seen if they move on from Goodwin, who is on a team-friendly deal, or find trades that create flexibility.