Jaxson Hayes is in the midst of getting a Slovenian passport to play for the national team.
“USA doesn’t do open tryouts,” Hayes said. “And I feel like there are guys they invite to the USA [training camp] that shouldn’t be there. So, I wanted to just play on that stage … I’m going to do whatever it takes to play on that stage.”
Hayes, who was born in Oklahoma, said that his and Luka Doncic’s agent had reached out about the possibility before Doncic was traded to the Lakers.
The Slovenian national team allows one naturalized citizen on its roster for international competitions.
Anthony Randolph previously held the role, with Slovenia winning the gold medal of the 2017 EuroBasket tournament.
JJ Redick supported Hayes in his pursuit of international basketball.
“I looked at my USA Basketball experiences and I had a bunch of them … they were all invaluable to me because you’re learning around great players,” Redick said. “And then, you’re also learning a different way to play, in some ways. The international game is very different.”
The next major international tournament for Slovenia to compete in is the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
