Before the Detroit Pistons found their current promising core, they had a very difficult stretch where they didn't win more than 23 games for five straight seasons. No player defines that miserable window more than Killian Hayes. The seventh-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft was a big swing and a miss by then-GM Troy Weaver, who selected him over the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija, and Devin Vassell. Now, it has been a year and a half since Hayes' Pistons tenure ended and the 24-year-old point guard is still struggling to find his footing in the NBA.
When the Pistons waived Hayes towards the end of the 2023-24 season, he didn't sign with a team until September 2024. He landed with the Nets organization, splitting his time between the NBA and the G League. He produced solid counting stats, averaging 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in 27 minutes per game in six appearances for the Nets. He shot 38.1% from three in a very small sample, suggesting that he may be turning a corner there.
That's how he ended up signing a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers last month. On Wednesday, however, Hayes was released by the Cavs with less than a week left before the start of the regular season, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. Hayes is now reportedly expected to join Cleveland's G League affiliate.
Killian Hayes Choosing G League to Revive Career After Latest Cut
It makes some sense why Hayes would opt for a G League stint to try reviving his career. He was solid in the 18 G League games he played last season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game on 48.2%/41.7%/75.0% shooting. He can still dominate the G League, but his lack of speed and athleticism will always put a ceiling on his NBA potential.
The French-American guard has decent positional size but doesn't have the burst to get by his defenders and isn't a good enough shooter to be an off-ball player. He shot below 30% from three in each of his four seasons in Detroit. Unless he shows miraculous improvement for a sustained period of time, his chances of being an NBA player will continue to be very low.
Hayes Ignoring Overseas Option Could Be Major Mistake
Playing well in the G League was obviously not enough for Hayes to get serious consideration with NBA teams, so it's surprising that he's taking that route again. An overseas stint could be what he needs to revive his career, and he's experienced the benefits before. Debuting with Cholet (in France) as a 16-year-old, he played overseas for three seasons before being drafted in 2020.
When you look at his career timeline, that overseas success feels like a peak you'd expect him to keep chasing:
- 2017: Makes professional debut with Cholet at 16 years old
- 2019-20: Averages 12.8/6.2/2.3 in EuroCup play with Ulm
- 2020: Drafted 7th overall by the Pistons
- February 2024: Waived by the Pistons
- September 2024: Signed by the Brooklyn Nets on September 20, is waived before playing a game
- October 2024: Joins the Long Island Nets (G-League)
- February 2025: Signs a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets
- September 2025: Signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers
- October 2025: Cut by the Cavs
Eventually heading to Europe in the next stage of his career feels inevitable for Hayes, but for now it seems like the former Pistons bust will be trying to stick around for longer.