Jaxson Hayes holds steady amid the turmoil! After a promising start to the LA Lakers‘ campaign, the backup center has found himself in trouble, again. The NBA has re-opened the investigation of Hayes’ 2021 domestic violence case after new videos have surfaced. Notably, after receiving a punishment of three years of probation, 450 hours of community service, and a year of weekly domestic violence classes, legally, Adam Silver and Co. let the 24-year-old rising star walk away without any consequence. Amid this situation, the big man made his first remarks following JJ Redick’s straight-forward take on the matter.

It’s undoubtedly a delicate situation for the Lakers camp during their transition phase. JJ Redick, who took over the LA side’s high-profile coaching job after the Darvin Ham trouble, promised to rebuild the team, focusing more on player development. On the other hand, the team did everything in its power to rope in a veteran big man in the 2024 offseason but failed. So, it’s a given that Hayes, the backup center, has found a spot in Redick’s player development program.

Nevertheless, the Purple and Gold team’s boss doesn’t seem shaken up by the potential threat to the big man’s future availability. Speaking to the media about the investigation, the head coach said, “We’re obviously aware that the investigation has been reopened, and we’re going to cooperate fully. But other than that, I’m not going to have another comment on that.” 

In a similar vein, Jaxson Hayes, in front of the cameras, after the loss against the Detroit Pistons, said, “Me and my team are working on cooperating with the league with all that and I don’t have any other comments about it right now.”

Tonight, Jaxson Hayes laced up for the game against the Pistons, hours after the NBA’s decision to re-open the investigation broke out. The big man checked in for 9 minutes, dropping 5 points with 3 rebounds. As of now, the star hooper plays at an average of 15.7 minutes per game in JJ Redick’s brand-new rotation policy. So, the important question is, how will the league’s pending decision affect the Lakers’ run?

Will the NBA suspend Jaxson Hayes?

The situation can go in any direction looking at the past year. Kevin Porter Jr. went through a similar situation when his ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence. During the trial, the former Houston Rockets player pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and a harassment violation. However, even before the trial, the Rockets had restricted him from attending the team’s practice and later traded him to the OKC Thunder where he also was immediately cut off.

In 2021, the court charged Jaxson Hayes with 12 misdemeanors and sentenced him to three years probation, along with a mandate to do community service and attend domestic classes. Notably, the league and the Pelicans didn’t take any action on the rising star, unlike the Kevin Porter incident. However, the league has reopened it again after TMZ shared additional security cam footage of the already sealed-up domestic violence case. According to NBC Sports, the videos involved Hayes and his ex-girlfriend arguing in the residence. During a scuffle near the doorway, Hayes’ ex-girlfriend said, “Stop. Let go of me.”

In another video, outside their residence, Sofia Jamora can be heard, saying, “I’m not going to let you hit me anymore… What the f— do I look like, a punching bag?” 

Rob Pelinka had earlier said, “We felt like he owned, took responsibility for it, and is going to be a better person on the other side of it.” So, we wait for the league’s decision. What do you think? Will all of this end up affecting JJ Redick’s big plans for the Lakers? Let us know in the comments.