Luka Doncic's teammate on the Lakers who wants to play with him in Slovenia!

Jaxson Hayes enjoys playing alongside Luka Doncic on the Los Angeles Lakers so much that he is trying to spend his summers with him on the Slovenian national team as well. The 25-year-old, 2.13-meter tall center, born in Norman, Oklahoma, explained that he is in the process of obtaining a Slovenian passport with the goal of occupying the naturalized player spot that the federation allows in its international call-ups.

"My agent, Bill Duffy, had already presented me with the idea of playing for Slovenia even before Luka was traded to Los Angeles last winter," Hayes commented on Sunday. "Slovenia allows for naturalized citizens, and I am trying to obtain the passport to take that spot."

Part of his motivation, he acknowledged, comes from his experience with the U.S. national team and how their selection process is organized. "USA does not have open tryouts," said Hayes. "And I feel there are players invited to the camp who shouldn't be there. So I wanted to play in that scenario... I will do whatever it takes to play in that scenario."

His agent, Duffy, had played a significant role in another similar case: representing Anthony Randolph, born in Germany and naturalized Slovenian, who helped the national team win the EuroBasket 2017. Additionally, Duffy was the agent for Steve Nash, and he always emphasized how the Canadian's experience with his national team influenced his development into a two-time NBA MVP.

Doncic, on the other hand, led Slovenia to the quarterfinals of EuroBasket 2025, averaging 34.7 points per game, the highest in a tournament since Nikos Galis scored 35.6 per game for Greece in 1989. In that roster, Slovenia was supposed to have another American center, Josh Nebo, but an injury prevented him from participating.

Support from the Lakers

Lakers coach, JJ Redick, expressed his support for Hayes' initiative: "I had several experiences with USA Basketball, all of which were invaluable because you learn alongside great players. Additionally, international basketball is played differently. If he manages to do it, it would be fantastic for him to strengthen his connection and chemistry with Luka."

Slovenia's next big challenge will be the FIBA World Cup 2027 in Doha, Qatar. To qualify, the team will have to compete in six qualifying windows starting in November, although only two of them will be outside the NBA schedule, making it unlikely for Hayes or Doncic to participate actively. "Obviously, I would love to represent my own country, but we do not have open tryouts," Hayes insisted. "It is what it is."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¡El compañero de Luka Doncic en los Lakers que quiere jugar con él en Eslovenia!