Jaxson Hayes is on the verge of securing a Slovenian passport to join forces with Luka Doncic on the international stage(Image: Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Lakers talent Jaxson Hayes has confirmed he is in the process of securing a Slovenian passport so he can play alongside teammate Luka Doncic on the international stage.
The 25-year-old, born in Oklahoma and raised in Cincinnati, has no Slovenian heritage, but he is desperate to play international basketball and is willing to do “whatever it takes to play on that stage.”
The former New Orleans Pelicans big man has lamented the lack of open tryouts for Team USA, which has led him to pursue his options elsewhere. His tightening bond with superstar Doncic comes as the former Dallas Mavericks talisman settles into L.A., buying a $25 million mansion previously owned by tennis star Maria Sharapova.
READ MORE: CJ Stroud issues with Texans clear in brutal Seahawks loss on MNFREAD MORE: Heartbreaking Mike Evans news confirmed after Monday Night Football injury
Hayes, a top-10 pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2019, says the chance of playing for Slovenia came onto his agenda due to having the same agent as five-time All-Star Doncic.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) permits each nation to have one naturalized player — someone born elsewhere who has no previous ties to the country — on their rosters. The rule has enabled Cameroon-born Joel Embiid to play for the United States, while American-born Josh Hawkinson, a former Washington State standout, has been naturalized by Japan.
“It’s a little complicated. I don’t really know, we have the same agent and [Luka’s] parents and my parents are all kind of working on it right now,” Hayes said.
“But they came to me with the idea. I think each national team gets one nationalized player and they brought that to my attention.
Hayes can play for Slovenia due to FIBA’s naturalized player rules(Image: Candice Ward/Getty Images)
“The USA doesn’t do open tryouts. I think there are guys they invite to the USA one that shouldn’t be there. I want to play on that stage and I’m going to do whatever it takes to play on that stage, and they invited me to try out.”
Seven-foot center Hayes would undoubtedly be an asset to Slovenia. He has established himself as a useful role player for the Lakers since signing in 2023.
Last season, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and one assist per game, with an impressive field goal percentage of 72.2. He made 56 regular-season appearances in 2024/25, averaging a shade under 20 minutes per game.
READ MORE: Tom Thibodeau turns his back on Knicks and helps Celtics before new seasonREAD MORE: LeBron James ‘fake’ actions called out by Russell Westbrook during Lakers calamity
Hayes admits he would much prefer to represent Team USA on the international stage, but with that door seemingly closed, he is excited by the prospect of playing for Slovenia, the No. 14 team in the world rankings.
“It seems from the comments that they all love it,” he said of the reaction to the move. “Luka and his family have been talking to me about it for the past year and a half, and I’m just so excited.
“Obviously, I would love to go and represent my own country, but we don’t do open tryouts, so it is what it is.”