Killian Hayes had a successful outing with Detroit, on the floor. Wednesday in Sacramento, the young leader (1.96 m, 22 years old) contributed (8 points, 9 assists) to the stunning end of the match for the Pistons, victorious against the Kings (133-120). A few hours later, his adventure in Michigan came to an abrupt end. The seventh choice in the 2020 draft – a record for a Frenchman at the time – was simply released by Detroit, a few months before the end of his rookie contract.
According to several American media, the Pistons were nevertheless trying to find a franchise with which to set up an exchange. Memphis was particularly interested. But Detroit finally separated from the son of DeRon Hayes (ex-Cholet, Bourg and Nancy) to downsize its workforce after the exchange concluded with New York.
Which destination to bounce back?
“The last match he played, it was the real Killian Hayes, capable of organizing the game. His management in Detroit was bizarre,” regrets former Blues pivot Frédéric Weis, NBA consultant for beIN Sports. After a 2022-2023 season as a starter (10.3 points and 6.2 assists on average) in the absence of Cade Cunningham, Hayes saw his playing time drop in the face of competition from other young people (Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser…).
The native of Lakeland (Florida) must now find playing time elsewhere to hope to compete in the Olympic Games with the Blues. “I dream of seeing him in San Antonio with Victor Wembanyama for two reasons: he sends the balls at the right time, and it would be good for the France team,” hopes Weis.