LA Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out for their game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. This is a massive blow to the Lakers considering the matchup.

Since the offseason, it’s been no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers were searching for a starting caliber center, even when Anthony Davis was still on the team. Before the blockbuster trade, Davis made it clear that he wanted a center alongside him in the lineup.

A natural skepticism of Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers was how their team defense would be impacted. Trading away an all-world defensive center in Anthony Davis and relying on Jaxson Hayes would warrant plausible concern.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. With a record of 39-21, good for third in the Western Conference, they are heating up at the right time with the playoffs in sight. While LeBron James and Luka Dončić are grabbing headlines,

The Los Angeles Lakers are not going to make any deep playoff run with Jaxson Hayes starting at center, claims one anonymous NBA executive.

Despite concerns surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers’ center situation, Jaxson Hayes and Trey Jemison III have helped the squad climb into second place in the Western Conference standings. Their collective efforts are positively affecting games and enabling LA to maintain a high defensive level even with Anthony Davis now on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers will not have Jaxson Hayes starting at center -- or playing at all -- in Saturday's game against the Celtics.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed free agent Jaxson Hayes in 2023 on a two-year deal after he spent four seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans. Hayes would play with the Pelicans from 2019-20 until 2022-23.