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Hayes informed the Lakers on Friday that he will exercise his $2.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Hayes likely would have been on track for a one-year contract at a similar salary level in free agency had he declined the option, so he'll stick around in Los Angeles with the hope that he can solidify himself as the top backup center under first-year head coach JJ Redick. Previous coach Darvin Ham deployed Hayes as Anthony Davis' primary backup in 2023-24, though the Lakers were without Hayes' main competitors for the position -- Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood -- for much of the season due to injury. Vanderbilt and Wood are both healthy again and are under contract for the upcoming season, so Hayes could struggle to reach the 70 appearances and 12.5 minutes per contest he averaged in 2023-24.
