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After the Los Angeles Lakers' first game with Luka Doncic in the lineup, it looked like they might have found a temporary answer to the starting center question. On multiple possessions, Doncic found Jaxson Hayes lurking near the rim for lob passes. But injury misfortune struck the Lakers once again during their game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, as Jaxson Hayes exited early due to a facial contusion, as per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.
Jaxson Hayes' injury occurred during the first half of the Lakers' game against the Jazz. He had played seven minutes to that point and had four points, two rebounds, and one assist. More information will likely come sometime after the game, including what his prognosis is in terms of any potential missed games.
Hayes battled an ankle injury earlier this season that kept him sidelined for 21 games. Since his return to the lineup in early January, he's been one of the team's most consistent players on both ends of the court.
When Doncic was traded to the Lakers, he was finally able to team up with the center he'd wanted to play with since Hayes was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. But this recent injury may put that pairing on a brief hiatus.
The Lakers have been searching for frontcourt help even before trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. They had a deal in place with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams, but that trade was rescinded due to the Lakers' concerns over Williams' long-term health.
The Lakers recently welcomed Jarred Vanderbilt back from injury, and he fits JJ Redick's style of small-ball. They also signed Alex Len as a backup after waiving Christian Wood. Wood could have helped the Lakers in the frontcourt, but he had been sidelined since the start of the season due to injury recovery.
Len made his Lakers debut on Wednesday against the Jazz, and through three quarters of play, he had three rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes.
