The Los Angeles Lakers knew what to expect from Jaxson Hayes, but the big man bolted for the Utah Jazz after the purple and gold traded for Walker Kessler. LA has no regrets about paying a hefty price for Kessler. The Jazz happily took Hayes on a two-year, $12 million contract. They surprisingly started the ex-Laker in the season opener before getting disastrous results, but credit to Will Hardy for quickly finding the right role for his new big man.
Jusuf Nurkic is out with a toe injury. Utah has Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen in their frontcourt, but starting JJJ at the five creates a significant rebounding problem. The Jazz tried starting Hayes in the opener. It turned into a 20-point loss to the Grizzlies. Hayes had six blocks, but Utah was outscored by 27 points in his 26 minutes on the floor, which was the worst plus-minus on the team.
Lakers fans know Hayes isn’t a starter. Los Angeles was forced to try that to close the 2025 season after trading for Luka Doncic at the deadline. Number 77 wants a center, and Hayes was the only option. They added Deandre Ayton last season and got rid of both big men in the retool around Luka this summer. Credit to the Jazz for quickly pivoting and immediately seeing positive results.
Jaxson Hayes thrived in a reserve role after being benched
Coach Hardy moved Ace Bailey into the starting five against the Pelicans. That starting group struggled, but Hayes had the highest plus-minus on the team coming off the bench. The former Laker finished with 17 points on seven of eight shooting from the field. He had five rebounds, two assists, and one block as the Jazz picked up their first win of the season.
Hayes scored 19 or more four times last season. In all those games, he was finishing everything around the rim. The seven-footer dominated Derik Queen in Utah’s win over the Pelicans. Things won’t always be that easy.
Hayes will be up and down, but credit to the Jazz for giving him 26 minutes on a hot night. He only saw that much playing time eight times last season. Utah will suffer through a similar fate to the Lakers, but the Jazz are already figuring out how to use Hayes.
Lakers fans know too well the Jaxson Hayes rollercoaster
Hayes is a backup big man in the NBA. There will be nights where they look dominant and others where he can barely play. Hayes had nights where the Lakers were plus-26 in his 23 minutes and others where he was minus-21 in 12.5 minutes. He scored two or fewer points 13 times last season and had 12 or more in 14 games. The production will be all over the map.
Coach Hardy needs to use him in the right spots. Hayes struggles to protect the rim, but can provide a spark off the bench. It is all about exploiting the right matchups where the big man’s athletic ability and finishing can pop. Hardy found that against Queen, and repeating it is key to maximizing his production.
Lakers can only laugh after Jazz overpaid to steal Jaxson Hayes
The Lakers need a backup big man behind Kessler. Many thought Hayes would be that player, especially after he got his Slovenian passport to play on Luka’s national team.
The seven-footer couldn’t pass up making $6 million in Utah this season. He made just over $8 million in his three years with the Lakers.
LA was hoping to get him on a minimum contract. They couldn’t match the Jazz’s offer and add the pieces they wanted around Luka. The purple and gold let him walk knowing that Utah overpaid.
The Jazz are already getting the full experience. They overtaxed Hayes in the opener to disastrous results. The big man bounced back in game two for what will be one of his best scoring nights of the season. That is the rollercoaster of having Jaxson Hayes. The Lakers certainly weren’t paying more than $6 million to keep him in Los Angeles.
Hayes expectedly lasted just one game as a starter for the Utah Jazz. The Los Angeles Lakers could have told Will Hardy that the big man can’t play that role, but he had to find out for himself. Hayes was better in game two and may already be finding his footing in Utah. Lakers fans should be rooting for him. Nobody can blame Hayes for taking the money and leaving Los Angeles.
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