Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes has had Luke Kennard stock for over a decade

The Los Angeles Lakers needed other players to step up down the stretch before the NBA Playoffs. King James can still take over games, but those moments are getting fewer and farther between, which gives other players a chance to step up. In addition to that, a rash of injuries allowed players like Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes a chance to get more minutes. Kennard is one player who is taking that opportunity and running with it, according to Jaxson Hayes via Dave McMenamin’s post on X, formerly Twitter.

“I grew up watching him drop 40, 50 a game in high school … I've known he's been able to do all that” – Jaxson Hayes on his fellow Ohio native teammate, Luke Kennard pic.twitter.com/WJyxwvHojO

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 20, 2026

Kennard played a crucial role for the Lakers down the stretch after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ injuries, which Los Angeles needed him to continue in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets. The guard didn’t disappoint, leading all scorers with 27 points in a crucial win with Doncic out of the lineup. With Doncic and Reaves still unlikely for Game 2, the Lakers may need a couple more Kennard games to get past the Rockets.

It could be a tough ask to get him averaging 27 points per game for the duration of a seven-game series, but Hayes believes that the fellow-Ohio native is capable of doing it. Kennard, who is four years his elder, was a role model for him growing up.

Luke Kennard has some seasons where he averaged more points per game, but he wasn’t given as many opportunities early in this season. If he had sustained his pace over the past month over a full 82 games, it could’ve been a career year for the guard.

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