Apr 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) dunks in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jaxson Hayes' Future Remains Major Mystery

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated May 27, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Jaxson Hayes endured what many NBA players have historically: A season fully of high's and low's.

There was a time when the Los Angeles Lakers' fan base thought they had their center in place. The bouncy Hayes was the recipient of constant lobs thrown by Luka Doncic. Moments on the floor also included Hayes offering some respectable paint-protection for spurts.

Hayes shot a career-high 72.2 percent from the floor this season. He also started a career-high in games started (35) for good measure.

Despite having this extended look heading into the playoffs, the Lakers quickly abandoned Hayes in favor of operating with a quicker, smaller lineup. He played in only four games during the postseason — averaging a meager 1.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 7.8 MPG. It got to a point where he'd play a few minutes at the start of each half before being taken out in favor of Dorian Finney-Smith.

I've always liked Jaxson Hayes. 7 feet. High energy. Battles. Obviously no AD but not bad. JJRedick (and LeBron) must think he's really bad.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 1, 2025

Now a free agent, it's anyone's guess as to whether he'll be back in purple and gold.

Khobi Price of The Orange County Register penned an editorial speaking about the center's future with the team. A host of considerations must be analyzed pertaining to whether Hayes will be a fit for what head coach JJ Redick is aiming to do moving forward.

"How Hayes factors into the Lakers’ plans to replenish their big man depth will be one of the key storylines to follow of the offseason, especially with the manner Hayes’ season ended and how his role diminished."

Despite possessing some of the qualities LA would conceivably want in a center (athleticism, rim-running ability), the other aspects of the game seemingly weren't aligned with the franchise in terms of maximizing the abilities of Doncic and LeBron James.

Hayes demonstrated some real mental lapses on both ends of the floor. He's not a good rebounder for his size — never averaging more than 4.8 RPG in a single season. Hayes has also never averaged 1.0 blocks per contest. When factoring in an inability to pass the basketball, and no floor-spacing ability whatsoever, it's not shocking to see that he was dropped from the team at the end of this year.

I miss March 2025 Jaxson Hayes pic.twitter.com/XwogY8S2ot
— Playoff LAL (@PlayoffLAL) May 26, 2025

For the Lakers, acquiring a center with a rugged disposition will be key, and it's even better if that player can shoot the basketball and help the floor to be open for Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves to operate.

Hayes at best would be a backup option for most teams. Based on how far he fell last year when the games really mattered, it would be mildly surprising to see him back with the team in 2025-26.

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For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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