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Can Jaxson Hayes excel back in his old role?

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday, breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Jaxson Hayes.

Last season, nobody on the Lakers had to adjust more than Jaxson Hayes after the blockbuster Luka Dončić trade. Whether he liked it or not, he was tasked with filling the void Davis left and, while that meant having to perform beyond his job description and pay grade, Hayes successfully kept up during the regular season until he was badly exposed in the playoffs.

Before the pivotal trade, the seven-foot center averaged 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. Since Davis was healthy for most of the time prior to his departure, Hayes’ role was simply to be his backup.

Once the trade happened, Jaxson went from playing 16.7 minutes a game to 20.1 and was promoted to starting center. Being Dončić and LeBron James’ primary big man gave him the chance to shine even more as a lob threat. His average went up to 8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and, at one point late in the season, it was even fair to say that Jax outplayed his contract.

Unfortunately, the playoffs ended up being a humbling experience for the Hayes, who was not only outplayed by the Wolves’ frontcourt but turned out to be unplayable in the series. It was clear that JJ Redick didn’t trust him to the point that he ran his small ball lineup to the ground.

While this certainly wasn’t a good look for Hayes, it also served as a redirection for him to go back to the role where he excels most.

What is his best-case scenario?

The best-case scenario for Hayes is to be a serviceable backup to Deandre Ayton and a reliable player off the bench. This is the role that feels just right for him because it fits his skillset and he’s had the experience of doing it for two years now. In his second run with Dončić, James and the core, Hayes should be more equipped to work around them as it’s every high-flying vertical big man’s dream to play alongside two of the best passers in basketball.

Given that Ayton’s recent health record isn’t exactly encouraging as well, it would be nice for Hayes to regain Redick’s trust and answer the call when needed. It would also be ideal for the big man to stay healthy throughout the course of the season because the last thing the Lakers want is to deal with a lack of manpower in the center position once again.

Hopefully, Hayes shows some growth in his game as well and now that he’s in his third year in Los Angeles.

What is his worst-case scenario?

The worst-case scenario for Jax is if he finds himself buried on the bench again because he’s out of the rotation. That would significantly hurt his reputation around the league and, worse, be a waste of a roster spot for the Lakers.

This happening could also possibly ruin the relationship between both parties, which obviously won’t benefit either of them. At worst, Hayes could be traded since he also waived his no-trade clause when he signed a one-year deal to return to the purple and gold this summer.

What is his most likely role on the team?

Hayes will be slotted back to the bench as he’s expected to be Ayton’s backup where he’ll most likely be given 15 minutes per game on average. Even if his minutes will decrease compared to late last season, there’s certainly always going to be room for a high-flying vertical big man on a team that features Dončić, James and even Austin Reaves.

The backup big is expected to showcase his explosive offensive potential inside the paint and be relatively decent on defense when his number is called.

It takes a minor setback for a major comeback to happen, which is hopefully what we see from Hayes this season. His third season with the Lakers can either go very well or very bad and now that he’s back on a role that he was initially signed for and even once outplayed, there’s a good chance that he succeeds more than fails.