Amid rumors and speculation about various trades, the NBA world was buzzing until the deadline answered many questions. Though one of the Lakers’ players appears to keep the drama constant with his recent pregame shenanigans. The center, Jaxson Hayes, reportedly made a questionable mistake, which has cost him a one-game suspension.
As Sports Illustrated has reported, Hayes is omitted from the next game because he pushed a Washington Wizards’ mascot during the pregame introductory session. The team calls it “G-Wiz” and uses it sarcastically to prank the rival team. In the Lakers’ case, their athlete appears to have raised the NBA’s eyebrow with his questionable actions.
In a tweet, the center can be seen shoving into G-Wiz. It appears to be running toward the athletes who were making their way to the court in the spotlight. While many players can be seen dodging the mascot in the dimly lit environment, Jaxon appears to collide with it. This moment has become a highlight lately, raising questions about whether this was an unintentional push or the athlete did it on purpose.
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Jaxson Has Finally Went Under Scrutiny Just Before The Next Lakers Game
The Jaxson-mascot situation is recent, but not recent enough. It goes back to January 30, 2026, when the team was up against the Wizards. The pregame buildup came to an end as normal, and despite the push, Hayes didn’t come under scrutiny until February 4. This suspension will prevent his court appearance in today’s Lakers vs 76ers matchup, and will cost him thousands of dollars from his salary.
The last game Jaxson played was the one involving the mascot collision. Here, the Los Angeles Lakers took a productive 142-111 win from the Wizards with their suspended athlete on board. The center contributed to this victory by playing 17 minutes off the bench and scoring 10 points for the team with 3 rebounds.
With no games in between, the athlete will remain absent for the next game against the 76ers, whose player, Paul George, also got suspended by the NBA. Jaxson Hayes signed a one-year contract with the franchise in July 2025, and it’s worth about $3.45 million for the 2025-26 season. It seems like the unpaid suspension will take a considerable chunk out of his short contract, but the player hasn’t publicly spoken on the situation following the NBA announcement.
Published: Feb 5, 2026 11:20 am