It was quite the season for Jaxson Hayes in purple and gold. After a pretty rocky first year in Los Angeles, Hayes went from backup big man to Anthony Davis to starting center alongside Luka Dončić.
And while he, at times, excelled in that role as a lob-catching threat, when push came to shove, Hayes was benched in the playoffs when the Lakers had no other center option.
It was a pretty damning indictment on how head coach JJ Redick viewed his spot on the roster. And while, to most, that felt like a pretty clear signal that he wouldn’t be back on the team next season, Hayes himself appears not ready to close that door.
Over on Instagram, Hayes pushed back against the notion that he wants to leave Los Angeles.
Even if he’s open to a return, it is incredibly unlikely Hayes is back next season. Redick clearly has no trust in Hayes in meaningful games and would rather play no center than him.
Another season of Hayes almost certainly isn’t going to change his mind. Hayes has been the same player for much of his career and particularly his time in LA. The second half of this season was only different because of the personnel around him.
Luka was the perfect time of point guard to complement his offensive skill set. Still, though, he couldn’t hang defensively and that proved to be the deciding factor at the end of the day.
The only realistic way Hayes comes back is if every other player fails and the Lakers circle back around to him on a minimum deal. Even then, though, it feels unlikely. Hayes is a known commodity for the Lakers and one that didn’t work.
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