Jaxson Hayes will be earning more than the minimum for the Lakers this year, but he also helped Los Angeles by reportedly waiving his no-trade clause.
Jaxson Hayes will return to the Lakers next season, and his contract details continue to reveal why the deal was structured in this manner.
One interesting tidbit is that he is making more than the minimum. Hayes is set to earn $3.45 million, which hurts the Lakers in the cap department since they will no longer have access to the full bi-annual exception this offseason.
Also, Hayes re-signing with the Lakers on a one-year deal typically gives a player an implicit no-trade clause.
However, on Monday, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that Hayes is waiving his no-trade clause, giving the Lakers some flexibility back.
While details are still emerging, it appears that this was a scenario where both parties benefited.
Hayes got more than the minimum, and the Lakers have the option to trade him if they see a deal worthwhile as the 2025-26 season progresses.
Jaxson Hayes waived his implicit no-trade clause to re-sign with the Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) July 7, 2025
All contracts are partnerships. Ideally, both sides are pleased, and everyone compromises a bit. In this deal with Hayes, he earns more money and the Lakers can trade him without any pushback. They also secured their backup big, who will play behind Deandre Ayton.
Last summer, D’Angelo Russell did the same thing as Hayes, waiving his no-trade clause. This allowed him to return, earn more money and the Lakers ultimately traded him for Dorian Finney-Smith in the middle of the NBA season.
We’ll see if Hayes has a similar story, but by waiving his no-trade clause, he gave some power back to Los Angeles.
Last season, as primarily a starter, Hayes averaged 6.8 points and shot 72% from the field. While his poor play and benching in the playoffs ended his 2024-25 campaign on a sour note, he generally played well with the Lakers and had his best stretch of the season after the franchise acquired Luka Dončić.
Now returning and playing in a more minor role, the hope is that you can still get the same production while having a better center as your starter.
Ultimately, the Lakers earned a win with this deal. They don’t have to keep Hayes all year if the fit is bad or if his end-of-the-year struggles follow him into next season.
It may have cost the Lakers some extra money, but deals work both ways and it seems each party compromised during these negotiations.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.