Los Angeles Lakers backup center Jaxson Hayes re-sprained his right ankle during the final minute of Tuesday’s 127-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns and will miss approximately two to three weeks, sources informed ESPN’s Shams Charania on Saturday.
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes reinjured his right ankle on a dunk against the Phoenix Suns
Hayes has missed the Lakers’ past two games and underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed the extent of the injury. He had missed two weeks because of the same ankle before returning to play the Suns on Tuesday, when he reinjured it on a dunk in the final minute.
Through 11 games (one start) this season, Hayes is averaging 6.4 points, a career-high-tying 4.5 rebounds, and 17.5 minutes per contest while shooting career bests of 72.2% from the field and 78.3% at the free throw line.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes suffered a re-sprain of his right ankle and will miss two to three weeks, sources tell me and @mcten. pic.twitter.com/Qr8GRF3NLD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 30, 2024
In Los Angeles’ 123-103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 10, he recorded a season-high 12 points on 4-of-6 (66.7%) shooting from the field. The 7-footer also logged six rebounds and one block in 21 minutes off the bench.
Additionally, Hayes is in the final season of the two-year, $4.63 million contract he signed last July. His $2.46 million player option for this season was exercised in June.
Hayes has served as Los Angeles’ primary big in the second unit
Hayes has been Los Angeles’ primary big off the bench. That is mainly because Jarred Vanderbilt has yet to play this season after undergoing offseason foot surgery.
Christian Wood, another backup big man for the Lakers, also has yet to make his season debut. The UNLV product suffered a setback while ramping up his recovery from offseason surgery on his left knee.
He is still at least a couple weeks away from making his return.
The Lakers still have Anthony Davis and Christian Koloko, who missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a blood clot. The former second-round pick has played in 10 games as a reserve since being cleared to return by the NBA’s “fitness to play” panel.
