Lakers news: Anthony Davis foot injury, Jaxson Hayes investigation, Bronny G League debut

The NBA season has many twists and turns, and Los Angeles Lakers fans already have whiplash from a first two weeks that couldn't have been more jarringly different from each other.

The Lakers came flying out of the gate with a 3-0 start. New head coach JJ Redick seemed to have seamlessly steered the ship in the right direction in the post-Darvin Ham era, Anthony Davis looked like a strong MVP candidate, and the Lakers appeared to be ready to announce themselves as top contenders in the West after vanquishing the Wolves, Suns and Kings.

It was barely over a week ago that the Lakers ended their season-opening homestand with their third straight win, but it feels like much longer. Since taking out the Kings, L.A. has gone on a 1-3 slide that included a revenge game from the Suns, a pair of double-digit losses to the Cavs and Pistons, and nearly blowing a 26-point lead against the Raptors. It's been a catastrophic road trip, but thankfully it ends tonight in Memphis, after which the Lakers will return to L.A. for three home games.

There's a lot of news to catch up on, both on and off the court, so let's get to it before tonight's game.

Anthony Davis injury update

Anthony Davis has been one of the best players in the league in this, his 13th NBA season. AD leads the league in scoring with 32.6 points per game, and he's also chipped in 11.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks. It's scary to think about where the Lakers would be without him.

Unfortunately, that nightmare may become more reality than hypothetical, as Davis re-injured his foot in the loss to the Pistons on Monday night. Davis seemed to aggravate the injury in the fourth quarter, and though he did receive medical attention, he didn't immediately come out. After the game he said, "I've been managing it since this summer, honestly, and my goal for every game is to be on the floor. And I just kind of landed directly on the spot that's been killing me. So, we'll figure it out."

It's looking like Davis is a game-time decision tonight, though it's a very good sign that he participated in today's shootaround. His absence would pave the way for another big game from Grizzlies 7-foot-4 rookie Zach Edey, who broke out on Monday against the Nets for his best game of the season with 25 points on 9/10 shooting, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

Davis has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but the 76 games he played last season were a career high. Sadly, this latest injury isn't a huge surprise, due not only to his participation this summer in the Olympics as part of Team USA, but to his increased usage rate this season. Whether he misses time or not, JJ Redick may have to focus more on keeping his star big man healthy for the duration of the season.

Jaxson Hayes may be in trouble

The frontcourt news only gets worse for the Lakers, as the NBA has reopened its investigation into Jaxson Hayes after TMZ posted a video this weekend of Hayes arguing and being rough with his then-girlfriend in 2021.

Hayes was arrested after the incident three years ago and given probation and community service time, though he was never disciplined by the NBA. That may change now after the release of this video.

Like other leagues, the NBA has had a complicated history with its players and domestic violence, including recently with players such as Kevin Porter Jr. and Miles Bridges. Bridges missed more than a full season due to pleading guilty to a felony domestic violence charge, but he was still rewarded by the Charlotte Hornets with a three-year, $75 million contract.

Video evidence is often enough to get leagues to take these things seriously, and that seems to be what's happening here. We all remember the NFL's mishandling of the Ray Rice case in 2014 as a turning point in how leagues handle domestic violence, but there's still a long way to go.

It feels gross to be talking about the basketball implications of something like this, but like Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick, Lakers fans will be forced to reckon with the on-court fallout if Hayes ends up suspended. This would only compound the fact that Anthony Davis is dealing with his foot injury, especially as the team still awaits the season debut of Jarred Vanderbilt, who is still experiencing foot discomfort of his own.

Even with a healthy Davis, Vanderbilt and Hayes, the Lakers have been heavily rumored to be in the market for a big man via trade, with Utah's Walker Kessler often cited as their top target. That need will intensify if the NBA's investigation leads to discipline for Hayes.

Bronny James is set to make his G League debut

Bronny James has received more coverage than any second-round rookie in NBA history, and with his famous name, it's not hard to see why. The Lakers surprised no one by selecting LeBron's son on draft night, and while it was a cool moment to see the two Jameses share the court together, even if only briefly, it looks like reality is about to set in.

Bronny isn't ready to be a productive NBA player just yet, and with the G League season starting later this week, it makes more sense for him to play there than to sit on the bench at Crypto.com Arena. That's why after the game against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night, he'll be moved off the NBA roster and sent to the South Bay Lakers, L.A.'s G League affiliate.

It will be interesting to see if the Lakers really plan to have Bronny bounce back and forth, or if that's just lip service. If he stays in South Bay, will it adversely affect LeBron in some way? If he comes back, whether he actually gets minutes or is more of a sideshow, what then?

If there's one trait of Bronny's that scouts believe could be his best attribute, it's his potential as a defensive wing. Outside of Davis, the Lakers have not looked good defensively, and they've been especially vulnerable to fast players that are able to slash their way into the lane. It may take a while, but if Bronny can hone is defense, he could actually have a meaningful role on this team.