Jaxson

Hayes

Hayes suffered a facial contusion and was ruled out for the rest of the game at halftime against the Jazz Wednesday. With Anthony Davis traded and the Mark Williams trade rescinded, the Lakers were counting on Hayes’ presence on the interior. Alex Len is the next man up for Los Angeles after signing on Tuesday. Len would be worth streaming if Hayes’ injury were to linger.

After failing to acquire Mark Williams, the Lakers were left without much positional depth at center, and Len will help to correct that. He and Jaxson Hayes will likely share minutes, hurting the fantasy value of both. Len doesn’t need to be added in most leagues, and he would only be a viable fantasy option if he earned full-time starter minutes. Wood’s departure won’t impact fantasy hoops, but he could be worth a look if he lands in the right situtation.

On Thursday, the Lakers traded Reddish, Dalton Knecht, their 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets in exchange for Mark Williams. The trade, conditional on Williams and Knecht reporting to their new teams and passing their physicals, was rescinded on Saturday evening. The failed trade leaves the Lakers in a difficult spot regarding their center rotation. Currently the starting center, Jaxson Hayes is a must-add in fantasy leagues. As for Reddish, he had fallen out of the rotation before the trade, so there may not be much of a future for him in Los Angeles.

Making his fifth start since the now-traded Anthony Davis went down with an abdominal injury, Hayes hit double figures in rebounds for the second time. The 12 boards were a season-high for the energetic big man, who’s likely headed to the bench once Mark Williams is available to make his Lakers debut. Hayes is only worth rostering on nights when he’s allowed to start; given Williams’ injury history, he may not be consigned to the bench for good. Hayes should remain on watch lists in deep leagues once the Lakers are whole.

Williams’s trade from Charlotte to Los Angeles has not been finalized, so he will not be available for Saturday’s game. However, the hope is that he can make his Lakers debut on Monday against the Jazz. Jaxson Hayes will remain in the starting lineup, preserving some deep-league streaming value.

Williams could make his Lakers debut on Saturday, but he’s still questionable, and fantasy managers will need to monitor his status leading up to tip-off. If he’s ultimately sidelined, Jaxson Hayes would presumably remain in the starting lineup.

While Hayes has been a starter for the Lakers’ last four games, that run will likely end soon due to the addition of Mark Williams. The Lakers’ center did not play more than 25 minutes in any of his four starts, and he offered minimal streaming value as the starter. Holding onto Hayes for the first game or two that Williams is available for wouldn’t be a bad idea in deep leagues, but managers should not view this as necessary if they think they can find more consistent minutes in the free agency pool.

Hayes started Thursday’s game for the injured Anthony Davis, and he finished with his first double-double of the season. The stat line was pretty much what deep-league fantasy managers were hoping for. Hayes made the most of his limited offensive opportunities, not missing a shot from the field or the foul line, and he put up quality numbers in the rebound and blocked shot categories. While the Lakers announced that Davis would be re-evaluated in one week, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to play by then. Hayes should be streamed in deep leagues until the Unibrow returns.

Jaxson Hayes told reporters Thursday that he’ll start for Anthony Davis against Washington while he recovers from a abdominal injury. Hayes has been a solid contributor off the bench as of late but his counting stats haven’t been great. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect consistent production.

Finney-Smith injured his shoulder during Tuesday’s loss to the 76ers, in which he played 19 minutes off the bench. With Anthony Davis (abdominals) out, the Lakers’ forward should play more, potentially as a starter, if he’s cleared to play. Jaxson Hayes is another potential starter if the Lakers go with a traditional center to replace Davis.