After spraining his left ankle in practice, Hayes will miss the next one to two weeks before he’s re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff. The center is playing 17.5 minutes as Anthony Davis’ backup, but some question whether Hayes should have been playing at all.
The NBA reopened its investigation into a 2021 domestic violence incident where Hayes appeared to yell, shove and spit at his then-girlfriend, then break objects and flip over furniture. The new investigation was started after TMZ published security camera footage of the altercation, which ended with LAPD officers tasing and arresting after he allegedly shoved a police officer.
The Lakers have continued to play Hayes, who was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans when the incident occurred. In June 2022, Hayes pleaded no contest to charges of false imprisonment and resisting an officer. He received a sentence of three years of probation, 450 hours of community service and a year of weekly, online classes about domestic violence, but the NBA didn’t assess further punishment.
Now that there’s damning footage, Hayes may face more punishment. The NBA has been criticized for its handling of domestic violence issues, most notably when Charles Barkley questioned commissioner Adam Silver before the telecast of last season’s opener.
Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets didn’t play in the 2022-23 season and served a 10-game suspension last season after charges of domestic violence against the mother of his children. He signed a $75M contract this summer. Kevin Porter Jr. was traded and waived before last season after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, eventually pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of harassment and reckless assault. The Los Angeles Clippers signed him this summer.
When Hayes is playing for the Lakers every night with footage of his abusive behavior readily available, it looks like the NBA doesn’t care about domestic violence. It’s also unclear what else the league needs to see, 10 days into its investigation.
If Hayes does miss time, due to his ankle or a possible suspension, the Lakers don’t have many options. They have Christian Koloko, who has played in two NBA games after being medically cleared for his blood clot issues. Tuesday, the team announced Christian Wood will be out four more weeks with a knee problem. We may see a return to LeBron James playing point center.
This means that the Lakers may need to make a decision about the center position. But not as badly as the NBA needs to make a decision about Hayes’ possible suspension.