Lakers' Jaxson Hayes Pursuing Slovenian Passport to Join Luka Doncic on National Team

Jaxson Hayes really likes being teammates with Luka Dončić.

The Los Angeles Lakers center confirmed on Sunday that he is pursuing a Slovenian passport so he can team up with Dončić on the national team:

"We have the same agent, and my parents and his parents are kinda all working on it right now," he told reporters. "But they came to me with the idea. I think it's each international team gets one naturalized player, something like that. They brought that to my attention. USA doesn't do open tryouts, and I feel there's guys they bring to [Team USA] that shouldn't be there. So I wanted to play on the [international] stage and I'm going to do whatever it takes to play on that stage. And they invited me."

Even if the United States did hold tryouts, it's hard to imagine the Lakers' backup center cracking the roster (6.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG for his career). Slovenia is giving him that opportunity, however, and it's hard to fault him for taking it.

So now it appears the two Lakers teammates will be hooking up in the pick-and-roll on the international stage as well.