Naturalized! Reported to be joining soon! The 8th overall pick teams up with Doncic

As reported by foreign outlet BasketNews,Hayes is close to finalizing his naturalization in Slovenia and will play for the Slovenian national team together with Doncic in the future.

The soonest chance to watch Hayes wear the Slovenian national basketball uniform will be at the World Cup qualifiers scheduled between July and August this year.

Born on May 23, 2000, Hayes is a 2.13-meter tall center with a 2.22-meter wingspan, drafted 8th overall in the 2019 first round. Originally an American, he once complained about the lack of an open selection system for the US team before realizing he had no chance to represent his country in FIBA events. Therefore, he chose to join the Slovenian team, closely aligning himself with the Lakers' new star, Doncic.

As long as he maintains a good relationship with Doncic, Hayes has a chance to secure a contract extension with the Lakers during this summer's offseason. This season is a contract year for him, with a salary of $3.5 million, but he still needs to prove he has the ability to stay with the purple and gold squad.

So far this season, Hayes has played 39 games for the Lakers, starting 4 times, averaging 17.6 minutes per game, scoring 6.5 points and grabbing 3.9 rebounds, with an impressive shooting percentage of 77.4%. On the court, he has repeatedly connected well with Doncic, showing good chemistry between the two.

When it comes to international competition, Hayes will become Slovenia's best interior defender and Doncic’s strongest support, continuing their seamless play from the NBA to FIBA stages.

It’s worth mentioning that Gafford, who previously teamed with Doncic to help the Mavericks reach the finals in the 2023-24 season, had expressed interest in joining the Slovenian national team. However, after being traded to the Lakers, this plan seems to have been abandoned.

Gafford clearly has stronger skills than Hayes, having averaged 11+7 for two consecutive seasons. In his NBA career so far, he has posted comprehensive stats of 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.5 blocks per 19.9 minutes, with a shooting percentage of 70.3%, plus experience in high-level NBA Finals games.

Up to now,the Lakers hold a 29-18 record, ranking fifth in the Western Conference, just half a game behind the fourth-place Rockets (29-17). They share the same number of wins as the sixth-place Suns (30-19) and seventh-place Timberwolves (30-19),still constantly facing the risk of falling out of the playoffs.