Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Returns after three-game absence
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Hayes (knee) finished with two points (1-2 FG), three assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block in 13 minutes off the bench Wednesday in the Lakers' 116-115 win over the Timberwolves.
Back in action after missing the previous three games due to left knee patellar tendinopathy, Hayes slotted back into his usual role as the top backup to starting center Deandre Ayton. Aside from racking up four fouls, Hayes came through with a well-rounded line in his return, but he's unlikely to see his minutes rise much from this level while Ayton remains healthy and locked in atop the depth chart.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Available Wednesday
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Hayes (knee) is available for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Hayes is set to end a three-game absence due to a knee issue. With Maxi Kleber out with an oblique strain, Hayes is in position to serve as the Lakers' top backup center behind Deandre Ayton going forward.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Iffy for Wednesday
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Hayes (knee) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves.
Hayes has missed the last three games due to a knee issue. He appears to be trending in the right direction to return. If he's unable to play for a fourth straight game, the team will likely continue to look to Jarred Vanderbilt for help in the frontcourt.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Out again Monday
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Hayes (knee) will not play Monday against the Trail Blazers, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Hayes will end up sitting out both games of this back-to-back set, but he's considered day-to-day with soreness. With Hayes out once again, the Lakers are likely to turn to Jarred Vanderbilt after his strong performance Sunday against the Kings.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Ruled out Sunday
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Hayes (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Kings, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Hayes entered Sunday listed as questionable but will ultimately sit out the first half of the back-to-back with left knee soreness. In his absence, Christian Koloko could see more run as a traditional center, while Jarred Vanderbilt may take on additional minutes in smaller lineups.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Questionable for Sunday
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Hayes (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Hayes is in danger of missing his second straight game due to left knee soreness. If the big man is ultimately ruled out, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Koloko are candidates for an uptick in playing time.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Won't play vs. Minnesota
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Hayes (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Timberwolves, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Hayes popped up on the injury report early Friday due to left knee soreness. Christian Koloko has been made active for this matchup due to Hayes' absence.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Downgraded to questionable
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Hayes has been downgraded to questionable for Friday's game against the Timberwolves due to left knee soreness, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports.
Hayes had four points (2-3 FG), six rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes during Tuesday's 119-109 loss to the Warriors, operating as Deandre Ayton's backup center. If Hayes is unable to suit up Friday, it's possible the Lakers utilize a smaller lineup with someone like Jarred Vanderbilt benefiting.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Sees 14 minutes in loss
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Hayes closed with four points (2-3 FG), six rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes during Tuesday's 119-109 loss to the Warriors.
Hayes operated as the direct backup to Deandre Ayton on Tuesday, with Jarred Vanderbilt logging 12 minutes at forward. Ayton had a decent showing in 34 minutes, and at least for now, it doesn't appear like Hayes is going to be a threat to Ayton.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Off injury report for Tuesday
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Hayes (wrist) is off the Lakers' injury report for Tuesday's game against the Warriors, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
Hayes exited Friday's preseason loss to the Kings due to a sprained right wrist but will return to game action in Los Angeles' regular-season opener. With Maxi Kleber (abdomen) in jeopardy of missing Opening Night, Hayes could see a slight uptick in minutes against Golden State. The 25-year-old center appeared in 56 regular-season games (35 starts) in 2024-25, during which he averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game. He's expected to compete with Kleber for playing time behind Deandre Ayton in the 2025-26 campaign.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Won't return Friday
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Hayes will not return to Friday's exhibition against the Kings due to a right wrist contusion, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Hayes is dealing with a bruised wrist, but it would be surprising if this impacted his status for Opening Night on October 21 against the Warriors. More updates should surface leading up to Tuesday's tip, but if he's out, that would open up some minutes for Maxi Kleber and Jarred Vanderbilt.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Retreating to bench vs. Sacramento
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Hayes won't start in Friday's preseason game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
With Deandre Ayton (rest) returning to action, Hayes will come off the bench in the Lakers' preseason finale. The big man is likely to compete for minutes with Maxi Kleber behind Ayton in the regular season.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Turns in 12 points in starting role
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Hayes finished with 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a blocked shot across 25 minutes in Wednesday's 121-91 preseason loss to the Mavericks.
Deandre Ayton (rest) will begin the season as the Lakers' starting center, and Hayes will be locked in a battle with Jarred Vanderbilt for backup minutes. Based on recent history, Hayes should have the upper hand considering his usage last season, but Hayes' utility will be limited to the five. Vanderbilt has been used as a four in the past, so his profile offers a bit more flexibility.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Starting exhibition
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Hayes is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks, NBA reporter Jovan Buha reports.
The Lakers are resting their entire starting five from their previous preseason contest, opening up a spot for Hayes in the first unit. Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt make up the rest of the lineup.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Will play vs. Dallas
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Hayes (rest) will play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Hayes took a seat in Tuesday's loss to the Suns, though he'll return for the second leg of the team's back-to-back set. The 25-year-old center was a mainstay in the starting lineup last season after the Lakers traded Anthony Davis to the Mavericks. However, Hayes is expected to compete for playing time with Maxi Kleber (quadriceps) and Jarred Vanderbilt off the bench this season.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Out Tuesday
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Hayes (rest) won't play in Tuesday's preseason game against the Suns, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt will all be in street clothes Tuesday, but Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton are expected to be available for the first half of the Lakers' preseason back-to-back set. Hayes is slated to be the top backup center behind Ayton on Opening Night.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Re-signs with LAL
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Hayes agreed to a one-year contract with the Lakers on Thursday, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Hayes will return to Los Angeles for a third straight season. The veteran center will now share the frontcourt with Deandre Ayton (calf), who signed with the team Wednesday. In 56 regular-season games last season, Hayes averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game while shooting a career-high 72.2 percent from the field.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Shows improvement in sixth season
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Hayes averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 blocks in 19.5 minutes over 56 games during the 2024-25 regular season.
Hayes showed obvious improvement in his second year as a Laker, averaging his best scoring total since the 2021 season while setting career highs in both rebounds and assists. However, he struggled to find his footing during LA's first-round postseason series against the Timberwolves, averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in four games before being a healthy scratch for Game 5.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Heads to bench Wednesday
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Hayes will come off the bench Wednesday against the Timberwolves, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
After being in the starting lineup for 36 straight games, Hayes will have a bench role in Game 5, with Dorian Finney-Smith taking his place as a starter. It has been a rough series for Hayes, as he has averaged 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game across only 7.5 minutes per contest despite being in the starting lineup for the previous four games.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Sees just four minutes
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Hayes accumulated two points (1-2 FG), three rebounds and one assist in four minutes during Sunday's 116-113 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Hayes had a brutal start, picking up a couple of quick fouls and a technical. He never saw the floor after that, with coach J.J. Redick opting to go with a smaller lineup with Dorian Finney-Smith playing the entire second half. A lineup change could be brewing for Game 5 with the season on the line for the Lakers.
