LOS ANGELES – Just when the Los Angeles Lakers were starting to get back to 100 percent healthy, they were informed of another injury, this time to backup center Jackson Hayes. Hayes suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday and did not return. Before the Lakers' game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, head coach JJ Redick lamented the fact that Hayes' absence means the team is losing this special ability that only LeBron James could possess.
"Unfortunately, no one on our team except LeBron can jump as high as him. So we'll have to make do with Maxi." [Kleber] And Wando," Redick said. "And the good news is he's going day by day. And he has already improved. He did a light court workout today. "Still a little sore, but we're hopeful he'll be back this week."
Jackson Hayes was initially listed as questionable on the Lakers' injury report for their game against the Magic, but he was downgraded to out just hours before tip-off. Hayes has struggled with ankle problems this season, but for the most part has been an integral part of the Lakers' rotation.
Hayes is in his third season with the Lakers after initially signing as a free agent in the 2023 offseason. He originally signed a two-year contract with the team, and then re-signed to a one-year contract last offseason. Hayes played admirably as the starting center last year following the departure of Anthony Davis, but Redick ultimately ousted him amid the Lakers' disappointing playoff run against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This season, Hayes has appeared in 47 games, including seven starts, in just over 17 minutes per game. He averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds with a split of 77 percent shooting from the field and 64.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Hayes represented the Lakers in the Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend, but was eliminated in the opening round.
With Hayes out of the lineup, the backup center role will fall to the combination of Maxi Kleber and Jared Vanderbilt. Kleber represents the Lakers as a traditional big man in terms of size, while Vanderbilt has operated in small-ball lineups.
