Hayes returning is good news for the Lakers as their reserve unit has been one of their biggest issues this season, although Hachimura being out won’t help that.

Hayes missed the Lakers’ contest on Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic with that ankle issue and they will greatly benefit from the energy he brings off the bench. Hayes’ ability to attack the rim has provided great dividends and his chemistry with the Lakers’ playmakers, primarily Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, is obvious.

Hachimura has been the team’s most consistent 3-point shooter all season long and provides much-needed floor spacing, so they will need to find a way to make up for that.

Outside of Hachimura, JJ Redick has his complete roster available as the Lakers hit the road for the first time in nine games. After a disappointing 4-4 homestand, the Lakers have an opportunity to get things right against a Suns team that is shorthanded without All-Star guard Devin Booker and feisty wing Dillon Brooks, who has been an enemy of the Lakers for years now. Former Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin is also among the Phoenix players ruled out.

In addition to looking to turn things around after back-to-back losses, the Suns are also right behind the Lakers in the Western Conference standings and own a 2-1 record against L.A. this season. As such, a victory for these Lakers is needed not only to maintain some distance between themselves and a Play-In spot, but also to ensure the Suns don’t get the tiebreaker which could become very important at the end of the season.

This is a crucial stretch for the Lakers as they try to come together and reach their potential ahead of the postseason, and having their full roster available will allow for them to really build chemistry and hopefully, string some wins together.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton makes it known he doesn’t want to be in Clint Capela role

Another key to the Lakers success this season is big man Deandre Ayton, who recently made it clear that he does not like the idea of being fit into a rim-running role similar to that of Clint Capela.

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However, Ayton has garnered a reputation as a player who is inconsistent with his effort and dedication on the court and that has mostly played out this season. The big man has had some outstanding nights where he is crashing the glass, setting screens, finishing hard in the paint and altering shots on defense. But those are often followed by listless nights where he doesn’t seem engaged at all.

While Tuesday night’s loss to the Orlando Magic was Ayton’s best game in weeks, the center apparently still has some issues with his role on the team. After he spoke with reporters following his 21-point, 13-rebound outing, Ayton was heard yelling that the Lakers are trying to get him to play like Houston Rockets center Clint Capela, which he is not a fan of, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:

When he was finished speaking to the group, Ayton made his way back toward the showers and said what he really felt — loud enough for anyone still in the locker room to hear.

“They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” Ayton said, referring to the Houston Rockets’ now backup center, who a decade ago made his impact as a lob-catching, rim-running big on a team that made it to two conference finals.

“I’m not no Clint Capela!”

While Capela is now a seldom-used backup, at his peak he was the perfect pick-and-roll partner for James Harden and Trae Young. He rarely created his own shots, but was the ideal rim-running center who thrived off lobs and dunks, crashed the offensive glass, set excellent screens and averaged nearly two blocks per game on defense as well.

Ayton believes he is more than that, and in fairness, he is undoubtedly more skilled offensively than Capela ever was. But even Ayton himself acknowledged before the season that he is not here for numbers and the Lakers have Doncic, James and Reaves to carry the offense, so his focus is elsewhere.

Perhaps the frustrations of an up-and-down season both individually and the Lakers as a whole are getting to Ayton and his teammates and coaches have both acknowledged that they need to do more to keep him involved offensively. He may not be Capela, but if he can bring that level of effort and energy every night, combined with his skill, he would help take this Lakers team to another level.

Deandre Ayton optimistic Lakers can turn things around

The Lakers are coming off a disappointing homestand in which they went just 4-4 and while Ayton acknowledged that the team isn’t happy with how things went, he still expressed belief that they can turn things around this season.

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The move opened some eyes as Bennett is an extremely respected person who had great success in the college ranks. He took two programs in Virginia, as well as Washington State, to new levels and coached and developed a number of players who would go on to NBA success, including Klay Thompson, Trey Murphy III, Malcolm Brogdon and De’Andre Hunter.

But in his role as draft advisor, Bennett will not be taking on a lead role in the scouting department or draft room itself. But instead, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Bennett’s eye for identifying specific types of players will be utilized as the Lakers look to increase their stock of young, promising players:

Bennett, a team source said, will not be leading the Lakers’ draft room or scouting. Instead, Bennett’s experience in finding players who possess toughness, energy and IQ will aid in the Lakers’ search as they restock an empty-ish cupboard of young talent.

There was a time when the Lakers’ scouting and drafting department was one of the biggest strengths in the organization. The team regularly found players in the late-first or second rounds of the draft that would go on to be excellent players in the NBA, such as Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and Larry Nance Jr.

Oftentimes, those players would be used in trades to acquire a superstar, but that also means that these young players were talented enough to warrant inclusion in such deals. These days, the Lakers’ stock of young players is basically empty. Dalton Knecht’s value has plummeted, which leaves rookie Adou Thiero, who has battled injury in his first season, as the lone young player with some real potential on this roster.

Bennett’s teams in college were known for their defense, toughness and high IQ who played together and embraced their roles and he ultimately led Virginia to the National Championship in 2019. If he can help to find some of those players who have those same qualities he will be a great benefit to this Lakers franchise.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton doesn’t want to be placed in Clint Capela role

When it comes to the current Lakers roster one of the biggest keys to success is the play of center Deandre Ayton. And the big man recently let it be known that he does not want to be placed in rim-running role that Clint Capela once held for the Houston Rockets.

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One place that was extremely important to the Bryant family was Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, as it was where all four of their children were born. As such, that place will always hold a special spot in Vanessa’s heart and she recently gave a large philanthropic gift to the hospital.

In response, Hoag renamed and dedicated the court in which Kobe would wait to pick up his wife and children as Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Court. Vanessa would release a statement praising the hospital, doctors and nurses for the care they gave her in her times there, via Matt Szabo of the L.A. Times:

“Hoag is a special place,” Vanessa Bryant said in a statement. “I have wonderful memories of the care and support I received from the amazing doctors and nurses. I want this gift to help more people experience that level of care when they need it.”

The dedication occurred on February 24, obviously an important date for the Bryant family with the number 2 representing Gianna Bryant’s jersey number and the 24 of course representing Kobe himself.

Today on 2/24, Vanessa Bryant has announced the new “Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Court” at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.

All 4 of the Bryant daughters were delivered there. pic.twitter.com/gjwJ3bGSYu

— Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight) February 25, 2026

Hoag President and chief executive Robert Braithwaite also thanked the Bryant family for their gift and how proud they are of the connection they have with the family as a whole:

“This gesture from the Bryant family will have a lasting impact on Hoag, helping us significantly expand care in Newport Beach,” said Robert Braithwaite, president and chief executive of Hoag, in a statement. “What makes this gift so special is the meaningful connection the Bryant family has with Hoag. We’re proud to be part of their healthcare journey.”

As Braithwaite said, Hoag is in the midst of a major expansion throughout Southern California. They recently opened up a health center in San Clemente and their Sun Family Campus hospital in Irvine is undergoing a $1 billion expansion that should be completed this year.

Suns star Devin Booker misses Lakers legend Kobe Bryant

There are many current NBA players who looked up to Kobe Bryant and have taken on parts of his game and one of the best is Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker who spoke during All-Star Weekend about how much he misses the Lakers legend.

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Rosen has a ton of connections to the Lakers as he began his career as an intern with the franchise before moving up into a front office role in the 1980s. He is also familiar with Walter as he has been an executive with the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2012.

Something Rosen will already have to deal with is fan backlash after the Lakers confirmed a major increase in the price of season tickets beginning next season. In speaking on it, Rosen said that the new prices reflect the market demand but he hopes the holders renew, via Khobi Price of the California Post:

“We hope they renew,” Rosen said. “And obviously it reflects on what the market is now and the demand for tickets. You can look at how tickets sell and what the prices are. You look at the primary and secondary market and you can see where their demand is.”

The affordability of games has been an ongoing discussion throughout many sports as ticket price increases have been rampant. That has especially been the case in the NBA and the Lakers, as the premier basketball franchise, are always one of the most expensive tickets to get a hold of. Add in having superstars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the roster, and it makes Lakers tickets even more of a commodity.

Some sections are seeing their season ticket prices increase by nearly 50%, which is quite a massive uptick, and the team will also be adding on a 3% administrative fee if the invoice isn’t paid off to start. It is unfortunate for Lakers fans who are the ones who ultimately have to pay these increased prices, but it is simply the new reality.

Lakers hire Tony Bennett as NBA Draft advisor to Rob Pelinka

The Lakers have already begun bringing in new people as they build out the front office of the organization on both the basketball and business side. Most recently, the team hired former University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett as their new NBA Draft advisor to general manager Rob Pelinka.

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