Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: First double-digit scoring outing
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Hayes poured in a season-high 11 points (4-4 FG, 3-4 FT) and added three blocks, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes during Tuesday's 134-107 win over Memphis.
Thanks to the Lakers building an insurmountable lead early in the second half, Hayes ended up seeing more playing time than usual and was able to deliver his best overall line of the campaign. In more competitive games, Hayes will likely find himself outside of the rotation as the Lakers' No. 3 center behind Anthony Davis and Christian Wood.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Available Sunday
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Hayes (ankle) is available for Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Hayes was considered probable for Sunday's matchup, so it isn't very surprising to see him able to suit up against Portland. He's averaging 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game this season.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Added to injury report
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Hayes is probable for Sunday's game against Portland due to a left ankle sprain, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Hayes continues to battle an ankle issue, but after missing contests Monday and Thursday, it shouldn't force him to miss additional time. The team should have another update on his status closer to tip.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Gets green light
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Hayes (ankle) is good to go for Friday's matchup with the Suns, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Hayes was upgraded from questionable to probable earlier in the day, so he was seemingly trending in this direction. Barring any setbacks, the big man will be available to provide depth in the frountcourt if needed.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Upgraded to probable
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Hayes (ankle) has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Friday's game against the Suns, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Hayes was initially considered questionable for Friday's matchup after missing the last two games due to a sprained ankle, but he's trending in the right direction ahead of tipoff. However, Anthony Davis (hip/groin) has also been upgraded to probable, so it seems likely that Hayes' role would remain limited if both players are available.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Questionable for Friday
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Hayes (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the Suns, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Hayes has missed the past two games for the Lakers, and that is really unfortunate timing with Anthony Davis still dealing with a groin issue. Hayes has made six appearances this season, but he's averaging only 9.2 minutes in those contests.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Won't play Wednesday
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Hayes (ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Rockets, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
Hayes will miss a second consecutive game due to an ankle sprain. Anthony Davis (groin/hip) remains a game-time decision, but either way, Christian Wood should see an increased role again. Hayes' next chance to suit up will come Friday in Phoenix.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Questionable for Wednesday
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Hayes (ankle) is questionable Wednesday versus Houston, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Hayes is at risk of missing his second consecutive game due to a left ankle sprain. Christian Wood would continue seeing a larger role if Hayes is unable to go, especially if Anthony Davis (groin/hip) is sidelined too.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Downgraded to out
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Hayes (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Heat, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Hayes was questionable for Monday's matchup due to a left ankle sprain, and he'll be forced to miss at least one game. His next opportunity to return will be Wednesday against the Rockets, while Christian Wood should see an increased role Monday.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Questionable for Monday
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Hayes (ankle) is officially questionable for Monday's game against the Heat.
Hayes is dealing with a sprained left ankle, although the issue was unreported until Sunday afternoon's injury report. Christian Wood and Colin Castleton would handle backup center minutes if Hayes misses time.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Gets starting nod
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Hayes is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's preseason game against the Kings, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Hayes will replace Anthony Davis (rest) in the starting five Wednesday. Hayes is expected to compete with Christian Wood for the backup center position in his first year with the Lakers.
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Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Inks deal with Lakers
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Hayes agreed to a two-year deal with the Lakers with a player option for 2024-25 on Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Hayes will head to Los Angeles after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Pelicans. In 2022-23, the 23-year-old big man saw a diminished role, averaging career lows in points (5.0), rebounds (2.8) and minutes (13.0). However, Hayes should compete for the backup center job behind Anthony Davis.
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Jaxson Hayes: Hitting free agency
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The Pelicans didn't extend a qualifying offer to Hayes on Thursday, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
New Orleans will not be able to match any offer Hayes receives this summer. The 23-year-old big man averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes across 47 games for the Pelicans in 2022-23. Hayes is coming off the least productive season of his career, but his age and upside could cause a few teams to consider signing him on a cheap contract this offseason.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Cameo appearance Tuesday
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Hayes notched zero points (0-1 FG) and one rebound over three minutes during Tuesday's 121-103 loss to the Kings.
Hayes made it into the rotation for the first time in more than a week, failing to score in his three minutes. While there have been a couple of small flashes this season, Hayes is clearly not a part of the Pelicans' plans for the future. He is comfortably outside the top 350 for the season, telling you everything you need to know about his fantasy fortunes this season and beyond.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Productive off bench
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Hayes produced 15 points (4-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-8 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals over 16 minutes during Wednesday's 121-110 victory over Portland.
Hayes played 25 minutes during Monday's loss to Orlando but wasn't as productive as he was against the Trail Blazers, as he contributed on both ends of the court while matching his second-highest scoring total of the season. While Hayes should continue to see increased playing time while Larry Nance (ankle) is sidelined, his production will likely be inconsistent, particularly when Jonas Valanciunas (calf) returns to action.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Takes over as backup center
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Hayes produced six points (3-4 FG), five rebounds and two steals across 25 minutes in Monday's 101-93 loss to the Magic.
After Larry Nance (ankle) exited early in the Pelicans' previous game Saturday against the Knicks, Willy Hernangomez (nine points, eight rebounds and three steals in 11 minutes) stepped in to fill most of the playing time that was available behind starting center Jonas Valanciunas. Though Nance was sidelined again Monday, head coach Willie Green opted to turn to Hayes as the backup center over Hernangomez, who didn't leave the bench. Because both of the Magic's centers (Wendell Carter and Moritz Wagner) offered some floor-stretching ability, Green may have preferred the more athletic Hayes to chase the opposing bigs around the perimeter, but Hernangomez could be more of a factor when New Orleans matches up with more traditional back-to-the-basket centers. In any event, both Hayes and Hernangomez are likely to find themselves out of the rotation whenever Nance is ready to play again.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Back to bench
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Hayes isn't starting Wednesday's game against Minnesota, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Hayes drew a spot start Tuesday, but he totaled just four points, four rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes. He'll return to the bench with Brandon Ingram (toe) back in the starting lineup for the first time since Nov. 25.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Gets chance with starting five
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Hayes is starting Tuesday's game against the Nuggets, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Hayes will get a turn with the first unit with Zion Williamson (hamstring), Brandon Ingram (toe) and Naji Marshall (toe) all out of the mix. Hayes has made only one other start this season, which dates back to Dec. 26 against Indiana.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Pops for 14 points in loss
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Hayes finished with 14 points (6-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes during Friday's 123-110 loss to the Magic.
Hayes scored double-digits for the first time in almost three weeks, highlighting just what a struggle it has been thus far this season. Even with multiple players being out, Hayes has been unable to carve out a significant role, typically playing no more than about 18 minutes on any given night. At this point, he should be viewed as nothing more than a deeper league consideration.
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Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes: Serviceable again Monday
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Hayes recorded 10 points (3-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 19 minutes during Monday's 120-111 loss to the 76ers.
Hayes saw at least 19 minutes for the fifth time in his past six games, continuing what has been easily his best stretch of the season thus far. While his production has been serviceable at best, he could be in line for a slight uptick in playing time, assuming Zion Williamson misses time due to the hamstring injury he suffered during the loss. Managers in deeper formats should definitely give Hayes a look, while those in 12-team leagues could put him on their radar.
