The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of an incredibly important stretch to begin the 2025-26 NBA season.
With their injury-riddled duo of 5-time All-NBA First Team selection Luka Dončić (left finger sprain, lower left leg contusion) and 21-time All-Star LeBron James (sciatica) both sidelined for the short term, the rest of the team will have to support their tertiary offensive option Austin Reaves if they wish to pick up a few crucial victories.
Los Angeles' injury misfortune began to turn ever so slightly prior to their Wednesday night matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as The Athletic's Dan Woike reported that the team's high-flying reserve center Jaxson Hayes may return to action after a three-game absence. Unfortunately, another key Lakers role player received a less-than-ideal update in the process.
"Jaxson Hayes (left patellar tendinopathy) has been upgraded to AVAILABLE for tonight’s game at Minnesota," Woike shared via X on Wednesday.
"Marcus Smart (right quad contusion) has been downgraded to OUT."
Though the continued absence of 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart won't help the Lakers net a few strong victories with their stars sitting out, Hayes' return provides a semblance of hope heading into a matchup against the Timberwolves' star center Rudy Gobert, a 4-time Defensive player of the Year award recipient.
By having the 25-year-old reenter the fray to screen for Reaves, roll hard to the basket and act as a consistent lob threat, the Lakers will not allow Gobert to believe he can take a break once Los Angeles' starting center Deandre Ayton heads to the bench.
Hayes is also a solid rebounder and rim-deterrent on the defensive end, and he'll be relied upon heavily to prevent easy drives to the basket, even with Minnesota's superstar shooting guard Anthony Edwards set to miss the game as he recovers from a newly-sustained hamstring injury.
The Lakers' uber-athletic big man has been missing from the lineup since their 119-109 opening night defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, when he contributed four points, six rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes.
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