Lakers lose 7-foot center in free agency to Jazz, after trading for Kessler

The big NBA news of the day was that the Lakers traded for Jazz center Walker Kessler.

It's not as big news as that, but the Jazz have snagged a center from the Lakers in free agency, signing him to a multi-year contract.

Lakers lose 7-foot center in free agency to Jazz, after trading for Kessler

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported on Wednesday afternoon that the Jazz are signing former Lakers center Jaxson Hayes. The deal is two years and worth $12 million.

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After trading for Walker Kessler and keeping DeAndre Ayton, there was little room left to keep Hayes, so he walked in free agency.

He'll likely be the team's third-string center, with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic ahead of him on the depth chart.

Hayes spent his last three seasons with the Lakers, after playing his first four seasons with the Pelicans.

In the 2025-26 NBA season, Hayes played 66 games, averaging 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks.

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