Next season’s iteration of the Lakers will be looking very different.
Jaxson Hayes will reportedly sign with the Jazz, as first reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Hayes’ departure is a bit of a surprise. He had arguably his best year as a Laker this past season and clearly has a great relationship with Luka Dončić. Hayes now has a Slovenian passport and intends to play with Luka in international
basketball.
He played in 66 games this season, averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Hayes has always been a player with a ridiculously high shooting percentage, given that his shot diet consists of a ton of dunks and attempts near the rim.
Still, he continues to improve, and this year he shot 75.6% from the field, which is a new career best.
Hayes was an ideal backup, playing well in his shifts and stepping up as a starter on a few occasions when Deandre Ayton was out. And when Ayton was having a subpar game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick could go to Hayes for some center play during clutch time.
Hayes had some of his best performances late in the season. He scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win over the Pacers in March. It was his sole double-double of the year.
In the playoffs, Hayes was a solid contributor. He had 12 points in LA’s overtime win against Houston in Game 3 and scored 18 in the final game of the Thunder series.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
