Brian Windhorst thinks Jackson Hayes ‘secretly signed contract extension’
The Los Angeles Lakers decided to stay mostly quiet at the NBA trade deadline, making a deal for Luke Kennard Atlanta Hawks, but aren’t doing much to address their bigger problems. meanwhile, Jackson Hayes embarrassed the team during All-Star weekend with his performance at the NBA Slam Slam in Los Angeles.
Recently, reports surfaced that Hayes has applied for Slovenian citizenship, which would allow him to compete with Luka Doncic in international competition, and now ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst it is speculated what that could mean for Hayes’ future with the Lakers.
“Jaxon Hayes completed the paperwork to become Slovenian,” Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective YouTube podcast, via Heavy. “He can join the Slovenian national team for Luka, which I’d like to say is one of the smartest things Jackson Hayes has ever done because I think he just secretly signed a contract extension.”
Of course, Windhorst doesn’t mean that Hayes has literally signed a contract extension with the Lakers, but that his growing agreement with Doncic signals good things about his future prospects in Los Angeles.
Hayes has been a mixed bag for the Lakers this year, at times looking like an ideal partner for Doncic due to his spring athleticism, but also leaving fans confused by his questionable decision-making and defensive instincts, or lack thereof.
Many expect the Lakers to rebuild their roster in the upcoming offseason, at which point LeBron James may or may not decide to return to the team. With James’ salary either off the books or at a much lower figure, the Lakers will be able to build a more reasonable roster around Doncic, which could include pairing him with a player more akin to Derek Lively II or Daniel Gafford, who proved to be a great fit with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers will next take the floor on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
2026-02-19 16:42:00
