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As one Lakers player is set to return from injury, another gets added to the list.
Jaxson Hayes has been upgraded to probable for LA’s upcoming contest against Phoenix, but Rui Hachimura has now been downgraded to questionable with an illness.
Hayes has so far missed just one game due to his ankle sprain.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Hayes was day-to-day after Monday’s practice. If he returns after just one game out, that aligns with the assessment of the severity of his injury.
The potential return of Hayes is a welcome one. Redick described him as the best vertical lob threat the team has before their game against the Magic.
Hayes is solidified as the backup big for the Lakers and is averaging 6.8 points and shooting a career-high 77% from the field.
On the negative side, the Lakers starting this brief road trip without Hachimura would certainly make beating the Suns that much harder.
Hachimura is a rotation player for Los Angeles. He is averaging 11.7 points per game and is one of their best 3-point shooters, converting on 44% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
While Hachimura’s role has shifted from starter to bench player, he is still playing a ton. On the season, he is averaging 29.5 minutes per game, and in LA’s loss against the Magic, he was part of the closing lineup.
If he is out, LA’s other forwards, such as Jake LaRavia, will have to step up in his absence.
On the plus side, considering that it’s an illness, there shouldn’t be much concern from Lakers fans that Hachimura will be out for an extended period of time.
Unfortunately, this season the Lakers have often had players unavailable, so Redick can and will adjust if either Hachimura or Hayes is unavailable for this game.
With only 25 games left in the year, every matchup, especially against Western Conference foes, has some added importance. So, regardless of who plays, the Lakers need to figure out how to come away with a win.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.