Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been one of the more consistent rotation players for the team during the 2025-26 season.
Hayes re-signed with the Lakers in free agency after his strong close to the 2024-25 campaign. He stepped in as the starting center following the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade and he established himself as the perfect pick and roll partner for Doncic.
This year, Hayes has been even better coming off the bench as he’s given the team some much-needed vertical spacing as well as improved defense. However, Hayes was forced to miss the win against the Atlanta Hawks due to a hamstring injury that he aggravated the night before against the Sacramento Kings.
Hayes said it’s been a lingering issue but is aiming to play in the Lakers’ next game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday if his MRI comes back clean, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
Jaxson Hayes had an MRI on his left hamstring today, according to JJ Redick. Hayes told ESPN on his way into the arena that he has experienced tightness in the hamstring for more than a week but hopes to be back in the lineup as soon as next game if the MRI comes back clean.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 14, 2026
Los Angeles has dealt with its fair share of injuries as of late and even when players return it seems like someone else has to sit. In this case, Hayes seems to have avoided a major injury though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team play it safe. Soft tissue injuries are more susceptible to re-injury, so there’s no reason to rush Hayes back unless he is 100 percent healthy.
Against Atlanta, head coach JJ Redick went with a smaller lineup with Jarred Vanderbilt at center. Normally, Maxi Kleber draws the backup minutes when Deandre Ayton or Hayes is out, but it seems like the veteran has fallen out of the rotation completely.
While the Lakers didn’t necessarily need him to beat the Hawks, it was still glaring how small the team is without a traditional center on the floor. Los Angeles hosts Charlotte on Thursday, so it’ll be interesting to see if Hayes is cleared in time to play.
Luka Doncic applauds improvement from Jaxson Hayes
Hayes was a revelation in the second half of the season last year, and he’s carried that momentum into this season. The center has gotten better as a finisher, passer and defender and Luka Doncic applauded him for his improvement.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
