“He continues to progress… He’s going to stay back and do live drills against the coaches while we’re in Sacramento, which is a big step forward for him”. Through this update a week ago, JJ Redick was able to shine some hope on Christian Wood’s availability for future games. Not only has the 29-year-old power forward/center been absent throughout the ongoing NBA season, but he hasn’t played a single game since mid-February 2024! If that wasn’t a big enough problem, Jaxson Hayes also saw himself go down a few weeks ago due to a right ankle ailment. The head coach had earlier provided optimism about the recovery of both players. However, as the Lakers are next set to go up against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, that optimism has reduced a bit.

In the pre-game presser of the ongoing Lakers-Pistons game, JJ Redick highlighted that there is currently no update regarding Jaxson Hayes’ condition. The same goes for Christian Wood as well. For this news to come a week after the ‘progress’ report is an indication that the two players are nowhere close to returning to the court anytime soon.

Jaxson Hayes has been absent from the Lakers’ last 11 consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain/contusion. The Lakers-Pistons matchup makes it 12. Before that, he had missed 6 other games in a row. This was due to him sustaining a left ankle sprain during a practice session. Being the backup center to Anthony Davis, his absences may have had an impact on the Lakers’ performance over the last few weeks.

Meanwhile, Christian Wood continues to recover from the knee surgery he got during the previous season. The 29-year-old power forward/center was initially considered well enough to be present during training camp. Unfortunately, a setback caused him to undergo another surgery, aka an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. Amidst Wood’s progress report, JJ Redick had also added that “He’s doing more on the court with obviously just individual work. His AlterG stuff, he’s getting to 95%, 100% on the AlterG. So again, he’s making progress and it’s looking like it’ll be soon barring any setback that he’s be back with us.” Despite this, the head coach also made it clear that Wood was “not coming with us to Sacramento, nor is Vando. They will be doing their rehab and court work here”.

In light of this update, the Lakers will continue playing with their changed roster. At the same time, however, the franchise may also begin playing with the timeline of their potential trades.

Amidst Jaxson Hayes’s Injury, JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka Can Explore 4 Possible Trade Options

A few weeks ago, Lakers reporter Trevor Lane discussed Jaxson Hayes’s Injury. At the same time, he discussed ways with how LeBron James and Co. can move forward in the player’s absence. Lane highlighted a statement made by Jake Fischer. The same had the host putting forward Chicago Bulls’ center, Nikola Vučević, as a potential acquisition for the Lakers. Unfortunately, an anonymous GM (General Manager) told Fischer that Vucevic’s price point would cost around 2 second-round picks. Therefore, trading Hayes would not be enough.

“Now, in order to get their salary-wise, you would have to put in either Rui Hachimura or D’Angelo Russell. Most likely, you’d be building a trade-off one of those two,” said Lane. He also added, “You could do something off the combination of Gabe Vincent and Jared Vanderbilt”. Additionally, a report by Fadeaway World listed Nic Claxton as a potential replacement for Jaxson Hayes. Jake Fischer also believes that by trading D’Angelo Russell, the franchise could open a spot for Marcus Smart. On top of this, the Lakers have also reportedly shown an interest in Walker Kessler. After all, he has averaged 9.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks this season. This proves his capabilities as a defensive anchor.

These reports reveal that the Lakers may be ready to take steps if Jaxson Hayes does not return soon. Therefore, fans may certainly be keeping their ears peeled, over the coming weeks, for any update regarding the 24-year-old.