And just like that, the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff run is over just as quickly as it started.
Despite entering the 2024-25 NBA postseason as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, the Lakers couldn’t get things done against the Minnesota Timberwolves, officially tasting elimination with Game 5’s 103-96 loss. It’s now back to the drawing board for general manager Rob Pelink and head coach JJ Redick, who have plenty of roster needs that must be addressed this offseason.
New contributors can’t be brought in unless roster space is created, though. In other words, there’s a good chance several players just played their final game in a Lakers jersey Wednesday night, including these three veterans.
1. Jaxson Hayes, C
Jaxson Hayes received the opportunity of a lifetime when the Lakers swapped Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic before the trade deadline. Without much other big-man competition on the roster, Hayes had a one-way ticket to a starting job as long as he didn’t make any mistakes.
Initially, Hayes thrived under the spotlight. The former Texas Longhorn started each of the Lakers’ final 30 regular-season games, averaging 8.2 points on 74.8% shooting and 5.5 rebounds while averaging 21.8 minutes per night.
Unfortunately, Hayes’ performance began to decline as the season progressed. He became a defensive liability down the stretch, resulting in Redick restricting the seven-footer’s minutes in the postseason. Hayes only averaged 7.5 minutes per playoff outing, and his production suffered as a result, averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 37.5% from the floor.
If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, Hayes didn’t play a second in Game 5, further proving the Lakers don’t trust him in key moments.
It’s hard to imagine the Lakers re-signing Hayes when he hits free agency this offseason. His chance to step up and land a big offseason payday is now a distant dream, leaving time to tell if any team will be willing to roll the dice on him this summer.
