LOS ANGELES — The stakes here in early April for the Lakers are easy to see, the trophies that sit in owner Jeanie Buss' window overlooking the practice courts a constant reminder of what the goals are for the team, particularly at a time when the talent on the roster looks formidable.

But for a player like center Jaxson Hayes, there are other things at play, the free-agent-to-be in the most important role of his career on the best team for which he's played.

"I just view it as opportunity to make a name for myself, an opportunity to go win some games and win a ring," Hayes said after the Lakers held a rare practice Wednesday. "And I just look at it as I gotta come in locked in every day and just try to make the most out of every day, be the best version of myself."

The best version of Hayes has been fully optimized with Luka Doncic now on the Lakers, the trade doing more than leaving Hayes as the lone option to lead the frontcourt with Anthony Davis off to Dallas. It also paired Hayes with Doncic, a maestro when it comes to playing with athletic centers who he can find space for lobs near the rim.

Hayes is averaging nearly 9.0 points per game while shooting 76.9% from the field since the trade. And even when Hayes is not scoring easy baskets, his rim-running has forced defenses to suck into the paint and create more open shots on the perimeter.

"When teams do that, man, it's either Luka's gonna get a bucket or one of the shooters gonna get a bucket," Hayes said.

It's made him one of the most important Lakers, a player with a skill set the team can't really replace when he's not on the court. When he missed four games in early March, the Lakers lost all four.

"I've told him this a number of times over the last week or so, he's so important for us," coach JJ Redick said before a win over Houston on Monday. "If we're wanting to win at the highest level, he's gotta be elite. And that's not to put pressure on him because he has guys that can take that pressure off of him. But we need him on the floor. We need him to stay out of foul trouble. We need him to lay off the referees. He's gotta be locked in."

Hayes' frustration with the officials has been an issue as his minutes have increased, and he acknowledged he's trying to find more empathy during emotional moments of the game.

"It's been a very big topic of discussion, and it's something I'm trying to work on," he said. "Obviously I play with a lot of passion and I'm a very passionate player and very energetic player. So sometimes I get on the refs when I feel like they miss 'em, but I gotta remember they're human too and gotta just focus on the game, focus on myself. So that's been a big point of emphasis for us and just leaving them alone and focus on myself."

Playoff preview?

The Lakers host Golden State on Thursday, the first time the teams meet since both squads reconfigured their rosters.

Since acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami, the Warriors (44-31) have rocketed up the standings and could be a first-round opponent for the Lakers (46-29).

Stephen Curry had 52 points, including 12 3-pointers, Tuesday in a win over Memphis.

"Jimmy's just such a competitor and everyone knows that," Hayes said. "We see what he's done with Miami the past few years, so just changed the whole game. We gotta deal with him and Draymond [Green], two very big competitors. And obviously Steph is Steph.

"Yeah, it definitely brings a lot of differences and more energy to the game."

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.