Killian Hayes Signs With Nets: A Make-Or-Break Season Ahead

Killian Hayes has arguably his final shot at an NBA roster. The former 7th overall pick came to the Detroit Pistons amid much fanfare. However, throughout their rebuild, Hayes has had opportunity after opportunity. So far, those opportunities haven’t translated into results. As a result, he was off an NBA roster for the second half of last season.

But, in the Brooklyn Nets, Hayes has one final shot at redemption.

Killian Hayes joins the Brooklyn rebuild

While he came to the league with a lot of optimism, an injury early in his first season put him on the shelf. As a result, his first season was limited to just 26 total games, where he could never find a rhythm. However, things didn’t get much better from there on.

During his sophomore season, he was far more available. Despite suiting up in 66 games, the output from the youngster didn’t get much better. Instead, his numbers were largely identical, barring a slight increase in overall efficiency. But, at 38.3%, it couldn’t exactly be seen as a substantial improvement. While he had flashes of defensive potential, the overall package was far too raw.

The next season, his healthiest so far, saw some bits of improvement. As an overall scorer, his ppg went up with Cade Cunningham nursing an injury. But, the efficiency was still suspect. At 37.7% from the field, the output wasn’t near NBA standards. And for the third straight season, his long-range shooting was under 30%.

Last season was seen by many as a last-straw effort for the once-promising rookie. With his rookie contract set to expire, the Pistons gave him another chance amidst their rebuild. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see or impress. Halfway through the year, his averages weren’t going up. While he was enjoying his best shooting year, it wasn’t good from any NBA standard at 41% from the field and under 30% from 3.

As a result, the team let him go right before the trade deadline and he didn’t find a way onto another NBA roster. But, after signing a one-year prove-it deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a final chance might be on Killian. As they did with Dennis Smith Jr last season, the Nets hope to find diamonds in the rough as they get ready to start a full-scale rebuild and enter the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

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