As free agency opened, the Los Angeles Lakers hoped to build around Luka Dončić with players who fit now that LeBron James will wear a different uniform next season.
The Lakers did just that, making several moves on Wednesday.
However, despite their acquisitions, they also lost a couple of key players from this season’s roster, including one with ties to Dončić.
Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler to Team With Luka Dončić, Lose Jaxson Hayes to Jazz
The Lakers acquired Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler in exchange for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Kessler’s deal is worth $130,000,000 over four years.
They reached an agreement with Toronto Raptors’ free-agent Sandro Mamukelashvili on a four-year, $52 million contract. The Lakers also agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with free-agent guard Quentin Grimes and a two-year, $19 million deal with guard Collin Sexton.
The Lakers, however, also suffered a couple of losses, not just James’ decision to move on.
After one season in Los Angeles, veteran point guard and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart is leaving for the Houston Rockets, while big man Jaxson Hayes is going to Utah on a two-year, $12 million deal to help fill Kessler’s role. The deal includes a team option for the second season.
Source: The Jazz are signing former Lakers center Jaxson Hayes to a two-year, $12 million deal. The second season is a team option.
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) July 1, 2026
“The Jazz are signing former Lakers center Jaxson Hayes to a two-year, $12 million deal,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon reports. “The second season is a team option.”
Hayes has spent time acquiring Slovenian citizenship and a passport with support from Dončić, a native Slovenian, although Dončić reportedly had nothing to do with Hayes obtaining his citizenship.
FIBA allows national teams to use one naturalized citizen per team, which is how Hayes has used this rule to become Dončić’s international teammate. That means they will likely play together next year during World Cup qualifying and eventually in the Olympics.
The two have clearly become closer and have great chemistry. Dončić likely enjoys playing with Hayes, but this is a business, and the need to get Dončić a high-quality center likely far outweighs playing with a friend.
According to McMahon, Hayes’ deal includes a team option for the second year. Hayes spent his first four seasons in New Orleans with the Pelicans after being selected with the eighth overall pick out of Texas in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Hayes signed with the Lakers in the 2023 offseason.
Hayes averaged 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game last year. He shot 75.6% from the floor and 65.3% from the free-throw line.
The Jazz also agreed to a deal with free agent center Jusuf Nurkic and have high-quality big men in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, meaning Hayes will spend time at both the four and the five. He likely won’t be counted on quite as much to fill minutes like he was in Los Angeles after the Lakers dealt Anthony Davis to acquire Dončić.
