Jaxson Hayes has a lot less pressure on him these days than he did during the second half of last season when he was the Los Angeles Lakers‘ only true center. While he proved to be ill-suited to be a starting 5 on a team looking to contend for the NBA championship, he has looked good this preseason in a backup role behind Deandre Ayton.
In Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, Ayton, along with several other regular rotation players, was held out, and Hayes responded with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 25 minutes.
Afterward, he made a surprising statement by saying he’s trying to get approved to play basketball alongside Luka Doncic in Slovenia next summer.
It sounded at the time as if he half-jokingly made the comment. But the Basketball Association of Slovenia did confirm that it is looking at possibly naturalizing a center for its team.
“As we have already mentioned, the Basketball Association of Slovenia is looking at the possibility of a new naturalization of a basketball player in the center position. We are striving to secure a new naturalized player for a longer period of time, thereby ensuring the stability of the national team in the coming years. At this stage of the procedure, we understandably cannot yet talk about names or details. When all matters are finally agreed upon and the procedures are successfully completed, we will inform the public about this.”
One doesn’t necessarily need to have been born in Slovenia to play for the nation’s team, as it does allow one naturalized player to have a roster spot as long as he has a passport.
If Hayes gets approved, he could potentially play alongside Doncic in the 2027 FIBA World Cup, as well as in the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles.