The 2021-22 NBA season has been a rocky one for New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes. Not only has the team struggled mightily, as New Orleans is 12-22 on the season, but Hayes has struggled as well.
Hayes is in his third season in the NBA, an important one for players. Teams expect a jump in production in the second half of rookie deals and Hayes is playing for his next deal. He will be extension eligible this upcoming offseason and if a deal isn’t agreed upon, he will be a free agent in 2023.
With how things have gone thus far, it would be hard to imagine the New Orleans Pelicans and Jaxson Hayes hammering out an extension before the season. He has seen his numbers drop across the board, playing the fewest minutes per game of his career.
The team had high hopes for the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but things have not panned out yet as they had hoped. Hayes has had a few appearances in the G League with the Birmingham Squadron and has done well while there.
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Jaxson Hayes believes the time that he has spent in the G League was good for him. He still has a ton of confidence in his skillset and believes he can take his game to the next level. Hayes shared this when talking to Will Guillory of The Athletic, a paid subscription website.
“I don’t think I’m there yet, but I think I know what it looks like for the most part,” Hayes said. “I can be an elite pick-and-roll player. I can spread the floor by knocking down shots from farther out. I can bring the energy and the scoring. I can control the paint with my defense. I know what I bring to the table. I think a lot of teams know what I can bring to the table.”
Hayes has seen his name mentioned in trade rumors this season as the Pelicans were expecting to be buyers at the deadline to make a playoff push. That seems unlikely now, especially since Zion Williamson is going to be sidelined for at least another four to six weeks.
LATEST NBA NEWS: New Orleans Pelicans Want Zion Williamson To Play This Season
Despite missing a piece of that significance in the frontcourt, Hayes has not been able to carve out a consistent role with the New Orleans Pelicans. But, he is hopeful that when he does figure it out, it is with the Pelicans and not another organization.
“If I get the chance, I will. You never know. Right now, I’m not getting the chance,” Hayes told Guillory. “I hope so. I love it here. This has been my home for three years. I’d much rather it happen here than anywhere else. But if it’s not in God’s plan, then it’s not in God’s plan. I’m just staying ready and focusing on myself. I’ll deal with whatever God gives me.”
Hayes should receive more chances sooner than later, especially if the team starts falling way out of the playoff race. But, Jonas Valanciunas, the team’s starting center, did sign a two-year extension as the 2021-22 season was going to kick-off, keeping him under contract through 2024.
LATEST NBA NEWS: New Orleans Pelicans Want Zion Williamson To Play This Season
If Jaxson Hayes wants to realize his potential, he could be looking for a change of scenery sooner than later with Jonas Valanciunas presumably entrenched as the team’s starting center.
