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Sep 30, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jaxson Hayes (11) during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

'Soft In The Middle' – Los Angeles Lakers Has Concerns With the Center Position, According to an NBA insider

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 9:54 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers secured their center in Deandre Ayton after he agreed to a contract buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers. After trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks last season, the Lakers struggled with their frontcourt. The team had to settle with Jaxson Hayes as their starting center. It wasn’t the best option for the team, but it was the only one they had.

With Ayton as their center next season, they expect to be NBA title contenders. The Bahamian center was the No. 1 pick in 2018, the same draft class as Luka Doncic. Early in his career, he showed promise as a potential star in the league.

However, he’s been a mediocre player, which is why the Phoenix Suns traded him to the Blazers. It’s also why Portland agreed to release him this offseason.

Aside from having Ayton as the starting center, the Los Angeles Lakers also re-signed Hayes to a new deal. The big man is expected to be the backup after starting 35 games in the previous campaign.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, however, isn’t confident in the Lakers’ depth at the center position. McMenamin believes the team is “soft in the middle” as they enter the new season.

“Nothing the Lakers do is under the radar, so this potential pitfall might seem more obvious than the other contenders’ concerns. But until proved otherwise, L.A. is soft in the middle,” McMenamin wrote.

“The Lakers’ other options at center are Hayes, who was brought back as a backup, Maxi Kleber, who played just one game with L.A. because of a right foot fracture after being acquired in the Luka Doncic deal, and Jarred Vanderbilt, their small-ball center option who has missed 99 games the past two seasons because of injuries.”

Although not everyone has a lot of faith in the Lakers’ centers, they believe Ayton and Hayes are enough for next season.

The Los Angeles Lakers guard gets a price tag check

Austin Reaves has proven for the Los Angeles Lakers that he can be one of the most reliable players on a contending team. Even though he had to share the ball with Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic and LeBron James last season, he still averaged 20.2 points. Although it went down to 16.2 in the playoffs, Reaves was still a problem in the regular season.

NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin wrote that Reaves could get a good contract from the Lakers if he proves that he can keep up with Doncic.

“If Reaves shows this season that he can be a high-level scorer next to Luka and step up in the playoffs, the Lakers gladly will pay that much to keep him,” Helin wrote. “However, if he struggles again in the playoffs, the Lakers — who will have a lot of cap space — may question whether that is the best way to spend their money.”

The Lakers offered Reaves a four-year, $89.2 million contract extension this summer. However, he declined it and could get a bigger payday from LA.

Dec 13, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) and teammates head to the bench for the break after the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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