Jaxson Hayes was one of the beneficiaries of Luka Doncic’s arrival at the Los Angeles Lakers last season, as the 25-year-old center has been one of Doncic’s top passing targets with his bounce.
During the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-94 preseason defeat against the Dallas Mavericks yesterday, Hayes revealed that he’s in the process of obtaining a Slovenian passport to join Doncic on Slovenia’s national basketball team.
“That’s my guy. We’re working on getting me a Slovenian passport right now so I can play with him next summer,” Hayes said about Doncic.
The Slovenian Basketball Federation (KZS) has been looking for a long-term solution at the center position to help the Los Angeles Lakers star. They previously tapped Josh Nebo to be their naturalized big man, but the 28-year-old didn’t play in this year’s EuroBasket due to injuries and schedule conflicts.
Los Angeles Lakers News: Gabe Vincent receives massive praise for superb performance vs. Dallas Mavericks
Gabe Vincent was one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ bright spots against the Dallas Mavericks, as the 29-year-old combo guard led the team with 22 points, three assists, and six three-pointers on 6-for-15 shooting from the field.
“I just wanted to come out aggressive,” Vincent said via Lakers Nation’s Corey Hansford. “Obviously, we were a few guys down, we knew we needed to play a little fast, and I just wanted to come out be aggressive, look for my shots, and guys found me early, and they went with it. That’s always helpful.”
“I think it’s just been a unique situation where I’ve been able to showcase more of my skillset during this preseason,” he added. “Obviously, when we’re whole, I’m not gonna be running the one like that, as frequently. We got great players in Luka, Bron, and AR. They’ll probably be featured quite a bit, so I’ll probably be off the ball a lot more. So when I’m on the ball, I just wanted to show my skillset and be aggressive and try to help us win a game.”
