The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the final 12-game stretch of the season. At 43-27 and sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, the Lakers are vying for home-court advantage in the first round. With only two games behind the No. 2 seed, the Houston Rockets, and also only three games ahead of the No. 7 seed, aka the Play-In Tournament, the Lakers have a crucial three weeks ahead of them.
One of the key players during this stretch will be Jaxson Hayes. The likes of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves obviously get most of the attention, but Hayes plays [an important, underrated role for this Lakers team.](https://lasportshub.com/lakers-big-man-can-earn-himself-a-big-payday-with-rest-of-season-performance-01jnpsa1zqg9)
After the trade deadline, the Lakers were left with a depleted center rotation. Hayes is the only viable roll man and rim protector on the team. The Lakers tried to add another one when they signed Alex Len after the deadline, but that signing didn't work out. Now, Len is completely out of the rotation, and the Lakers have to play small-ball lineups when Hayes is unavailable or on the bench.
When Hayes is on the court, the Lakers are a much better team. With [him on the floor](https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4579/onoff#tab-team_efficiency), the Lakers are 5.6 points per 100 possessions better than when he is off the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. With a defensive rating of 110.2 with him anchoring the defense, the Lakers are a solid defensive group. Without him, they are a poor defense with a 115.6 defensive rating.
For the season, Hayes is averaging 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one block per game in 19.8 minutes of action. Since the All-Star break, these numbers have gone up to 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game on a whopping 75.3% from the field.
By continuing this performance, Hayes can earn himself a massive payday and force the Lakers' hand. The 24-year-old is on an expiring deal and makes $2.4 million this season. The Lakers are already above the luxury tax line for next season. How large of a contract they will be willing to pay Hayes after this performance will be a huge factor in determining their course of action for the rest of the offseason.
The Lakers should be willing to pay Hayes the taxpayer mid-level exception at $5.6 million per season, but he will likely get a more lucrative offer elsewhere, making LA's decision a difficult and an expensive one.
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