The Jazz will ink the 7-footer to a two-year, $12 million contract, according to reports from ESPN, The Athletic, and other outlets. ESPN’s Tim McMahon reports the second year is a team option.

Hayes, 26, just finished his seventh NBA season and third with the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds last season, playing 18.3 minutes in 66 games, shooting 75.6% from the field.

It’s somewhat of a switcheroo, as the Jazz and Hayes agreed to the deal on the same day Utah executed a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles to send center Walker Kessler to L.A. in exchange for two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps.

Hayes played one year at the University of Texas and was selected eighth overall in the 2019 draft. Over seven seasons, Hayes has averaged 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. He averages 62 games per regular season and hasn’t started more than 28 games in any one season.

Hayes was arrested in July 2021 over a domestic disturbance call that resulted in an altercation with police. NBA.com reported in June 2022 that Hayes was sentenced to three years of probation and 450 hours of community service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment and resisting an officer.

Hayes joins a frontcourt of forwards Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kyle Filipowski, with center Jusuf Nurkic also agreeing to return to Utah after his season in Salt Lake City last year.

The Jazz hope No. 2 draft pick Darryn Peterson will boost Utah’s already promising outlook for the 2026-27 season after the team traded for Jackson late last season to pair with veteran Lauri Markkanen and burgeoning young talents in Keyonte George and Ace Bailey.