Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes suffered a left ankle injury during the team's practice on Tuesday. Upon further examination and imaging, he has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in approximately one to two weeks, the team said on Wednesday afternoon.
Hayes, 24, has arguably been the Lakers' best performer off the bench this season. With Christian Wood yet to play this season and recently suffering a setback in his injury recovery process, Hayes has been Los Angeles' primary backup option behind All-Star big man Anthony Davis.
In a total of 10 games, one of which he started when Davis was dealing with a heel/foot injury, Hayes has averaged 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 70.6 percent from the floor. Given his athleticism at the center position, Hayes has been on the receiving end of many lobs towards the rim offensively, an area he has thrived in since coming to the Lakers.
Impact of Jaxson Hayes' absence
Between crashing the glass and being able to slice through opposing defenses for easy scoring opportunities at the rim, Hayes has been willing to do all the little things to help Los Angeles win games.
“I’m just trying to find openings in the defense, force overs on my screens and just get behind the defense on my rolls,” Hayes said after the team's latest victory over the Toronto Raptors. “And then I just try to look at spots where I could just sprint down the floor because I know my athleticism and my speed just keep of help me compared to most of the other bigs… So I know I got to beat them how I can which is my speed.”
Without Hayes, the Lakers are left extremely thin in their frontcourt. Christian Koloko is the only other big man on this roster, but he has only played a total of 15 minutes this season and is not in head coach JJ Redick's nightly rotation. Rui Hachimura and LeBron James will likely see their minutes as “frontcourt options” increase alongside Davis.
Once again, the question of the Lakers' big man depth will be tested. This was an issue a season ago, and the idea of Los Angeles possibly looking to upgrade their roster in the frontcourt has been notable since the offseason. Robert Williams III, Jonas Valanciunas, and Walker Kessler are a few centers around the league that have been mentioned in recent trade rumors.
At this time, there are no indications that the Lakers are actively engaged in trade conversations for another big man next to Davis. However, recent injury concerns surrounding Hayes and Wood may very well lead to the team addressing their depth before the trade deadline.
Further updates on Hayes' status will be provided by the Lakers at a later time.
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