Lakers $3.4M ‘perfect big man’ for Luka Doncic emerging as much-needed playoff secret weapon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers are fully committed to building around Luka Doncic. While time was expected to be the key to assembling a contending roster, Doncic made it clear last summer that he wanted one now.

Advertisement

“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn’t mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he’s not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,” CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.

The Lakers have used a Dallas Mavericks blueprint during the second half of the regular season and are now one of the NBA’s best teams post-All-Star break.

“The 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks went all the way to the NBA Finals. They were also a group who largely put it together in the second half of the season. For that team, players got back healthy and the Mavericks were able to figure out what a winning formula truly looked like after the All-Star break. They closed out the season going 18-9 before beating three 50-win teams in their dominant march through the Western Conference Playoffs,” Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote.

Doncic has always thrived with lob threats, and playing alongside Jaxson Hayes has been no different.

Advertisement

“The Los Angeles Lakers have the perfect big man to pair with Luka Doncic on their roster. Jaxson Hayes has been fantastic and keeps getting better. The Lakers look smart for the rescinded Mark Williams trade and not panicking. Hayes is making that faith pay off, and fans will have to stay tuned to see what’s next from the 25-year-old big man,” Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts wrote.

The Lakers have been able to keep Hayes around cheaply, especially on his $3.4M contract. When Doncic is on the court with Hayes, the chemistry is noticeably better than when Deandre Ayton is playing.

Hayes is a high-flyer, a style that perfectly complements Doncic, one of the best in the game. If the Lakers make a deep playoff run this season, Hayes is likely to play a major role in their success.

More NBA news: