Jazz, Jaxson Hayes Agree To Two-Year Deal

Hayes, 26, spent his first four NBA seasons in New Orleans and then was a Laker from 2023-26. The former eighth overall pick primarily served as a backup center during that three-year stint in Los Angeles, including in 2025/26, when he started nine of 66 contests.

In 18.3 minutes per game last season, the seven-footer averaged 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks, making 75.6% of his shots from the floor and 65.3% from the free throw line. A rim-running big man, Hayes takes most of his field goal attempts right around the basket.

While the Jazz had expressed a desire to bring back Kessler to be their rim protector in a frontcourt that will also feature Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., they decided to go in a different direction after the Lakers exhibited a willingness to give Kessler a lucrative contract and surrender a strong package of draft assets for him.

Jackson figures to spend some time at the five, but Utah should have no shortage of other options up front. The team has now reached two-year contract agreements with Hayes and Jusuf Nurkic, and also appears set to bring back 2024 second-round pick Kyle Filipowski, who made 41 starts last season.

The Jazz don’t have the bi-annual exception available this season but have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and will likely use a chunk of it to officially sign Hayes after the moratorium period ends.