D’Angelo Russell says Jaxson Hayes has earned himself ‘a lot of money this summer’

Given the performances Jaxson Hayes is having for the Lakers this season, D’Angelo Russell believes he is on his way to a big free agent contract this summer.

On Sunday against the Timberwolves, the Lakers relied on heavy minutes from Jaxson Hayes with Anthony Davis exiting the game in the opening quarter with an eye injury.

Hayes delivered, playing 33 minutes and scoring 19 points in the 127-117 loss.

It wasn't just about the numbers Hayes put up. It was how he did it that was impressive. He worked well with D'Angelo Russell in the pick-and-roll and was able to attack the rim even with Rudy Gobert present.

While no one can replicate what Davis provides defensively, Hayes did a respectable job. He had five steals and a block and helped keep L.A. in the game until late in the third quarter when Minnesota ultimately ran away with the game.

Following one of his best performances of the season, Russell discussed how good Hayes has been and what it means for his NBA future.

"He was amazing," Hayes said. "He's going to make a lot of money this summer. Main stage, all these nights teams get to see dominate his minutes. He's playing behind A.D. all season and whenever he gets just a little bit of time, he dominates it. So, kudos to him. He's been hanging in there all year doing everything we needed him to do. Like I was saying, he's going to make a lot of money this summer."

Hayes hasn't reached the Malik Monk-level jump in value or even replicated the Javale McGee role some envisioned when he was signed with the Lakers this summer. However, he's been a solid rotation player, has reduced his fouls and, with Christian Wood likely out for the regular season, has provided the Lakers reliable minutes as the only viable option as a backup big.

Hayes' stats are near his career averages, so I'm not sure if “a lot of money this summer” is on the horizon, but he can opt out of his current minimum deal and see if he can get a raise.

Suppose he continues to play well in these last handful of regular-season games and has big performances in the postseason. In that case, it's not hard to imagine a scenario where a team bites on his upside and gives him a larger contract with a more significant role.

Whether that team is the Lakers or not will be a conversation in the summer. For now, Hayes has shown glimpses of the best version of himself during the most important part of the season and if he continues to do so, it will help both sides get to where they want to go.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.