What Jaxson Hayes told Luka Doncic years before LA Lakers move, drops ‘they keep trying to trade for me’ revelation

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What Jaxson Hayes told Luka Doncic years before LA Lakers move, drops ‘they keep trying to trade for me’ revelation

The Los Angeles Lakers missed out on Mark Williams, but they might not have needed to make a trade anyway.

For now, the Los Angeles Lakers will remain LeBron James’ team, but it’s only a matter of time before Luka Doncic joins James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jerry West as the face of the franchise.

After trading for Doncic in a baffling deal with the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers have a clear-cut mandate for the next decade or more: build around Doncic and win, win, and win.

In their first move after trading for Doncic, the Lakers struck a trade deadline deal with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams, but the deal was rescinded after the deadline once Williams failed his physical. However, it’s not all doom and gloom in Hollywood.

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

While Doncic can’t sign a $345 million supermax contract with the Lakers since he was traded, he will still be eligible for a four-year $229 million extension in the summer of 2026. By then, it’s hard to imagine James still playing for the Lakers, so the keys to the franchise will belong to the Slovenian.

The Mavericks, by adding Daniel Gafford at last year’s deadline, laid a blueprint for success. Adding an athletic rebounder and lob threat next to Doncic clearly gets the most out of him, which is why the Lakers set their sights on Williams.

Once that deal fell through, the Lakers could still, feasibly, make a trade for the likes of Nic Claxton or Bam Adebayo, or they could steal a player in free agency. Either way, the clock is ticking to appease Doncic, but the Lakers shouldn’t be in any sort of rush.

Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James #23 and Jaxson Hayes #11 while playing the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Octobe...
Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images

While he’s been in the NBA for six seasons now, Jaxson Hayes is only 24 years old. He has struggled with injuries for much of his career, but when he’s healthy he can be a solid backup center who can get above the rim like the best of them. If he were a better rebounder, he would be the perfect pairing with Doncic, and he seems to know that.

“‘When he was in Dallas and I was in New Orleans my first few years, they kept trying to trade for me,” Hayes told ESPN, reported Dave McMenamin.

Doncic and Hayes have often talked about playing together, with Hayes reportedly telling Doncic “’If you ever need a big, I would love to play with you.”

When Doncic arrived in Los Angeles, it stands to reason that the Lakers had James greet him and show him around, but in terms of rotation and role players, Hayes was eager to meet his new teammate first.

“Jaxson Hayes will have Doncic’s support, however,” wrote McMenamin. “He was the first of Doncic’s new Lakers teammates to go to dinner with him once he arrived in Los Angeles, as Hayes, Doncic and their mutual agent, Bill Duffy of WME, dined together at Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills.”

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles around Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors off a screen set by Christian Koloko #...
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

As already mentioned, the Lakers could offer a Mark Williams-type of package for an established center, pairing him with Doncic once James retires. Of course, in an ideal world for the LakeShow, Hayes would continue to improve and eventually become a legitimate starter, although that might be a pipe dream. The Lakers could, possibly, find a diamond in the rough with their limited draft picks, or they could tout Doncic to attract a free agent in coming seasons.

The most optimistic Lakers fans would tell you that Christian Koloko, once he finds his footing, can be the center of the future.

At 7-foot-1, he is only averaging 2.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in limited action this season for the Lakers, but in the G League for South Bay, he is averaging 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Koloko missed all of last season with a blood clot issue, which hampered his conditioning and limited his practice, but with a full offseason in 2025, he might be able to take massive strides next season.

Of course, the most realistic outcome is an offseason trade to appease Doncic and build a long-term winner.

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