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Lakers re-sign former Texas Longhorn basketball star to 1-year deal

Former Texas big man Jaxson Hayes signed a new 1-year, $2,874,436 contract with LA last week. He'll solidify the frontcourt alongside DeAndre Ayton in 2025.
ByMatthew Wilson|
Apr 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) dunks in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) dunks in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jaxson Hayes has officially re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025/2026 NBA season, for what will be his 7th year in the league. The deal is for one year with a fully guaranteed salary of $2,874,436.

Hayes finished the 2024/2025 season averaging 6.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1 APG, and a field goal percentage of 72.2%. Though his scoring numbers don't jump of the page, he's an incredibly important role player for the Lakers, especially on defense since Anthony Davis was traded earlier in the year.

When "A.D." was traded to the Mavericks, he left a gaping hole in Dallas' defense around the rim. Thankfully for Los Angeles, Hayes stepped up in a huge way as a rim-protector for J.J. Reddick and Co. His ability to defend the basket in multiple areas of the court made him a valuable piece for the coaching staff, so much so that they decided to bring him back on more than just a veteran minimum deal this offseason.

According to ESPN' Bobby Marks, he'll end up earning around $3.45 million in 2025/2026, about 120% above his minimum threshold for this season.

Hayes has never been one to accept 100% credit for his success, and when a reporter asked him how the defenses actually got statistically better since Anthony Davis left he responded:

"Shoot! I was learning from AD man. I mean that’s my big brother, I just watched everything he did, I watch films just trying to do everything that he did. And just, I mean really just trying to learn from him."

It's safe to say that Davis is an excellent player for Hayes to model his game after on both sides of the court, and there's a pretty good chance that Hayes will see an increase in his minutes next season. He started 32 games and averaged 19.5 MPG last year, and depending on the performance of newly acquired C DeAndre Ayton in 2025, Hayes could end up being on the court more often than not going forward.

He began to find his offensive footing towards the end of the year as a pick-and-roll player in J.J. Reddick's offense, and it's going to be extremely important for him to keep that momentum going in 2025/2026.

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