After four seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, center Jaxson Hayes signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 offseason. Now 24 years old, he agreed to a two-year deal worth about $4.6 million. The second year of that deal is a player option, one that Shams Charania of The Athletic is being told that he will pick up. He will reunite with new head coach JJ Redick as they were previously teammates together in New Orleans.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes is exercising his $2.4 million player option to return for the 2024-25 season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Hayes reunites with new coach JJ Redick. pic.twitter.com/FCmbZAWwoK
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2024
Lakers Big Man Picks Up Player Option
Jaxson Hayes Looks To Remain Backup To AD With Lakers
Last season, the seven-foot Hayes spent his time backing up star center Anthony Davis for Los Angeles. While he didn’t receive huge minutes, Hayes was at least somewhat productive when on the court. In 2023-24, he appeared in 70 games (five starts). His per-game averages were 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.5 minutes. The majority of his shot attempts came from in close, and he finished shooting 72.0% from the field.
As playoff rotations shrink and starters receive more playing time, Hayes didn’t play all that much in the Lakers opening-round loss to the Denver Nuggets. He appeared in four of the five games for a total of 23 minutes scoring just one point.
After playing just one season collegiately at Texas, Hayes showed enough to be selected eighth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He had a similar role with New Orleans in his four seasons there that he had with the Lakers as a backup big. His most productive season came in 2021-22 when Hayes received career-highs in starts (28) and minutes (20.0). Other career highs that season included his averages in scoring (9.3) and rebounding (4.5).
Through five seasons, Hayes has appeared in 311 career regular season games. During his time in the NBA, he has averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds. He has career shooting marks of 63.6% from the field and 70.7% from the free throw line.
Not The Most Notable Lakers Player To Exercise Player Option
While Hayes was a rotation piece for much of the Lakers season in 2023-24, he wasn’t a starter like D’Angelo Russell. The 28-year-old point guard announced on Friday that he has picked up his 2024-25 player option worth around $18.7 million. Russell has been much-scrutinized by the fanbase. He had a strong regular season, but for the second-straight postseason, he had numerous struggles against the Nuggets.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell is picking up his $18.7 million player option for next season to stay in LA, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/H44wduSZL3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2024
The most high-profile Lakers player to have a player option for 2024-25 is LeBron James. He has until Saturday to decide what to do with that approximately $51.4 million option. Regardless of what he chooses to do with his player option, it would be a complete shocker if he chose to leave Los Angeles. That became even more true after the Lakers drafted his son, Bronny James, with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
