Killian Hayes Rumors | Hoops Rumors

G League Notes: K. Brown, Nets, Djurisic, Pacers, Cavs, Suns

October 27th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by Indiana’s NBA team earlier this month, Kendall Brown won’t suit up for the Pacers‘ G League squad this season either. The Long Island Nets announced in a press release on Saturday that they’ve acquired Brown’s returning rights from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to guard Au’Diese Toney, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 first-rounder.

Brown was the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft, but played sparingly in his first two professional seasons with the Pacers, appearing in just 21 games and logging 103 total minutes at the NBA level. The 6’7″ swingman had a far more substantial role in the G League, where he put up 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 34.1 minutes per contest across 36 total outings for the Mad Ants last season.

Brown is one of several players with NBA experience who is part of Long Island’s training camp roster, which the team announced on Sunday (via Twitter). That group of former NBA players also includes A.J. Lawson, Amari Bailey, Colin Castleton, and former NBA lottery pick Killian Hayes.

Here are a few more notes from around the G League:

As expected, Hawks forward Nikola Djurisic, the No. 43 overall pick in this year’s draft, signed a G League contract and will open the season with the College Park Skyhawks while he recovers from offseason foot surgery. He said during Sunday’s media day that he’s started doing on-court work but isn’t taking contact yet and is still doing 1-on-0 drills, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com. Atlanta will continue to control Djurisic’s NBA rights, so he’s essentially a draft-and-stash player who’s playing domestically rather than in a league overseas.
The Indiana Mad Ants formally announced their training camp roster on Sunday (via Twitter). The Pacers‘ G League affiliate includes former NBA players like swingman Dakota Mathias, forward Cameron McGriff, and former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor.
The Cleveland Charge (the Cavaliers‘ affiliate) has officially announced its coaching staff and its training camp roster for the coming season. First-year head coach Chris Darnell will lead a group that includes former NBAers Jacob Gilyard, Chandler Hutchison, and Zhaire Smith, among others.
Veteran NBA forward Mamadi Diakite and former second-round pick Cassius Stanley are among the headliners on the first training camp roster announced (via Twitter) by the Valley Suns, who are embarking upon their first year in the G League.

New York Notes: Achiuwa, McBride, Hart, Johnson, Hayes

October 20th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Precious Achiuwa struck an optimistic tone regarding his hamstring injury. In a video posted by New York Basketball (Twitter link), the Knicks big man called it a “minor setback.”

“We’ll get back better, stronger. It’s just a minor setback,” he said. “We still have the same agenda. Gonna come back a lot stronger…We have a goal to accomplish this year.”

Achiuwa has a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in two-to-four weeks.

We have more on the New York teams:

Miles McBride and Achiuwa are the logical alternatives for the starting five if the Knicks choose to make Josh Hart a sixth man, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. With Achiuwa injured, the Knicks could temporarily pivot to Jericho Sims if they want to utilize a bigger starting lineup. Hart expressed some uncertainty at the end of the preseason about his role in New York’s new-look lineup.
Cameron Johnson, who is entering the second year of a four-year, $94MM contract, is a logical trade candidate. Johnson has tried to put that possibility out of his mind as the season opener looms, the Nets forward told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I’ve been able to feel comfortable in what’s going on,” he said. “And even with the uncertainty, it’s not like an uncertainty where I don’t think that our staff here, our front office here, has a lack of trust in me. So I feel confident in this group. I feel confident going forward. And I’m going to compete for this team. And it’s not even on my mind, really.”
The Nets waived Killian Hayes on Saturday but he’ll stay with the organization, at least in the short term, Botte adds. Hayes, who didn’t appear in any preseason games due to a hip injury, will rehab with the team’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. He is expected to play for them after he clears waivers.

Nets Convert Tyrese Martin To Two-Way; Waive Killian Hayes, Amari Bailey

October 19th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets have converted forward Tyrese Martin to a two-way contract and waived guards Killian Hayes and Amari Bailey, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and New York Post’s Brian Lewis (Twitter links).

Brooklyn’s roster now stands at the regular season limit of 18 players, with 15 on standard contracts and all three two-way slots filled.

Martin, the No. 51 overall pick in the 2022 draft, spent the first year of his career with the Hawks. He only saw action in 16 games and was waived the following offseason. Martin played last season for the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate in Iowa, averaging 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 39 games.

A former UConn standout, Martin signed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Brooklyn this offseason. He stood out in four preseason appearances with the Nets, averaging just 4.8 PPG but often receiving playing time alongside the Nets’ bench players and other two-ways. He was ahead of Bailey and the other non-guaranteed training camp invitees in minutes.

Hayes spent the first four seasons of his career in Detroit after being drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in 2020. He showed chops as a play-maker, averaging 5.2 assists per game across 210 career appearances, but he only shot 38.2% from the field in those games. After being waived by the Pistons at last season’s trade deadline, he didn’t catch on with another team for the rest of 2023/24.

This offseason, Hayes signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets. While his four years of NBA service made him ineligible for a two-way deal, he’ll still qualify for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate in Long Island.

Hayes didn’t suit up in a preseason game with the Nets while dealing with a hip injury. According to Charania, he’ll rehab the injury in the G League this season.

Bailey was a one-and-done prospect after suiting up for UCLA in 2022/23. He was the 41st pick in the 2023 draft by the Hornets and spent last season on a two-way deal. However, Bailey only got into 10 NBA games and the Hornets opted not to bring him back in free agency, leading to him signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets.

He played more extensively in the G League as a rookie, averaging an impressive 18.8 points and 4.3 assists on a .452/.358/.705 shooting split. Like Hayes, he’ll be eligible for a $77.5K bonus if he winds up spending at least two months with Long Island.

Given that both players are 23 or younger, there’s a chance the rebuilding Nets could revisit one or both if they open up roster spots via trade this season.

Atlantic Notes: Horford, C. Thomas, Hayes, George

October 16th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have been careful with Al Horford throughout the preseason, but he saw plenty of action Tuesday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Playing for the first time since the NBA Finals, the 38-year-old big man logged 23 minutes in a loss to Toronto. Horford has been scrimmaging and conditioning with the team since camp opened, but coach Joe Mazzulla opted to keep him out of game action until Tuesday.

“I saw he got great looks, he rebounded, he was in the right place defensively,” Mazzulla said. “He communicated. He was solid.”

Keeping Horford healthy is extremely important while Kristaps Porzingis recovers from offseason surgery on his left leg. The Celtics haven’t put an official timetable on Porzingis’ return, but it’s not expected to happen until December at the earliest. Horford only shot 1-for-6 from the field on Tuesday, but he was happy to be back on the court.

“I felt good, it felt good just to be out there, part of a game, and get a feel back for it,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with being back. I think I’m in a good place (physically). The good thing is we have a week until we start (the season) so I’ll continue to prepare and be in a better place.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets guard Cam Thomas has established himself as a scoring threat in his first three NBA seasons, but new coach Jordi Fernandez wants him to become more efficient in how he gets his points, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Thomas seems to have taken the message to heart, shooting 55.5% from the floor and 50% from three-point range during the preseason. “I’m just getting to my spots. There’s not really much difference [that] I’m doing,” he said. “Other than getting out and running more and getting a lot of easier shots, I’m just playing off the ball a little bit and just shooting the catch-and-shoot shots that I’m given. Obviously, at some point, I’m going to be able to create, do a lot of the one-on-one game, because sometimes that’s what the game requires. But right now, I’m just trying to play within the offense and just find my spots.”
Fernandez told reporters that the Nets can decide if Killian Hayes is worthy of a roster spot even if he doesn’t play in the preseason, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The former lottery pick, who has been out of the league since Detroit waived him in February, signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with Brooklyn this summer. “I’ve seen him play live in practice and you guys haven’t,” Fernandez said. “… I’ve seen him and I’m very happy with him. After that we’ll make whatever decision we have to as a group with (general manager) Sean (Marks).“
Paul George will be reevaluated next Tuesday to determine if he can play in Wednesday’s season opener against Milwaukee, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on NBA Today (video link). Sixers officials confirmed to Charania that there was no structural damage from the injury George suffered on Monday, but there’s a “level of uncertainty” about his availability for opening night.

Nets Notes: Schröder, Simmons, Claxton, Williams, Hayes, Sharpe, Watford

October 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons will both be in the starting lineup Tuesday when the Nets open the preseason against the Clippers, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Much of the training camp discussion has been focused on which player will be used as the starting point guard, but coach Jordi Fernandez has decided to try them together.

“It’s something that it gives us a different look right now, playing with size, but not a true big and a lot of play-making and shooting,” Fernandez explained. “So it’s going to be fun. It’s going to very fun to give it a look.”

Schröder wanted to be used in tandem with Simmons after being acquired from Toronto in February, but Simmons’ back issues limited them to 16 total minutes together in three games. Schröder believes they have skills that complement each other.

“He wasn’t healthy the last couple of years, but when he’s healthy, we know what he can do,” Schröder said. “He’s an All-Star-type player, so he’s going to push the ball. (He’s) unselfish. On the defensive end, he’s playing with grit. And that’s what we need here. So, a lot of speed. He can bring it up, I go to the corner. If not, me and him in pick-and-roll, him setting the screen or me setting the screen. I think we can do a lot of things. And today we worked on it, and we try to keep building forward, going forward, try to build. Yeah, we’re going to keep working.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Nic Claxton will be held out of the preseason opener due to hamstring soreness, according to Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Fernandez called the move precautionary, adding that Claxton also didn’t participate in a scrimmage at Thursday’s practice. “We’re not concerned about it,” he said. “We’re just more aiming [for] the first game of the season and doing what we believe is best just for him to be ready there.”
Former lottery picks Ziaire Williams and Killian Hayes have a chance to revive their careers after being let go by their original teams, Reilly notes in a separate story. Williams was traded to Brooklyn in July after three years in Memphis, and Hayes was signed last month after Detroit waived him in February. “A fresh start is good, but at the end of the day, you need consistency because you cannot keep having fresh starts,” Fernandez said. “You cannot say, ‘Oh, I’m done here. I’ll go somewhere else.’ Sometimes, when you get hit in the mouth, it’s good to recover and then start and look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What did I do wrong that I can fix myself?’”
Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford remained in Brooklyn to be evaluated for injuries rather than accompanying the team to San Diego for training camp, Lewis tweets. Updates on both players are expected soon.

New York Notes: Bridges, Washington, Towns, Nets, Williams, Thomas

October 2nd, 2024 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

After making an NBA Finals and being part of a 64-win season in Phoenix, new Knicks forward Mikal Bridges admitted it was a difficult adjustment to be on a Nets team that went just 44-65 during his season-and-a-half with the franchise. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Bridges also viewed his Nets tenure as a useful learning experience.

“Yeah, it was tough in Brooklyn, we were losing. Even personally, I think I didn’t handle it as well as I could,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “I always preach mental toughness and never losing your spirit. But it was just something I never dealt with like that. And, I think it was just a lot just for that team in general when I was there and the expectation for everybody and I think I didn’t handle it as good as I should have.”

Having been traded to Brooklyn’s cross-town rivals, Bridges is more optimistic about what the 2024/25 season holds, while Knicks star Jalen Brunson is excited about reuniting with his former Villanova teammate in New York’s starting lineup.

“I know how he plays, he knows how I play,” Brunson said. “The chemistry is still there.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

According to reporting from Bojan Brezovac of MozzartSport, the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade could receive a payment worth up to $1MM for letting Duane Washington out of his contract in order to be signed-and-traded by the Knicks to the Hornets for salary-matching purposes in the three-team Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The Knicks could pay up to $850K of that amount with no cap impact — any additional buyout money on top of that would come out of Washington’s NBA salary. The veteran guard is expected to be waived by Charlotte so he can return to Partizan after the trade.
Fred Katz of The Athletic explores how the Knicks might deploy Towns in order to optimize his unique skill set and considers what assets New York still has left for a possible in-season trade.
After being traded from the Grizzlies to the Nets in July, Ziaire Williams said on Monday that he feels like “a loose bird finally let out of his cage” (Twitter video link via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints). “Some days, I just kind of felt like I was trapped,” Williams said. “I definitely feel a lot more free (here). … It’s definitely a blessing in disguise.” Brian Lewis of The New York Post takes a look at the opportunities that Williams and former lottery pick Killian Hayes have for fresh starts in Brooklyn. Williams has a guaranteed $6.1MM salary for 2024/25, while Hayes is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal and is fighting for a roster spot.
Nets guard Cam Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 21, but he seems more likely to reach restricted free agency next summer than to sign a new contract before the season begins, according to Lewis. “I’m pretty sure my agent will have conversations with them, but I’m just worried about the season,” Thomas said. “This is the opportunity I’ve been wanting since I got into the league: to play, be free, so I’m just gonna make the most of it, and whatever happens, happens.”

Nets Sign Tyrese Martin, Killian Hayes

September 20th, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have signed free agents Tyrese Martin and Killian Hayes, the team announced (Twitter links).

The seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft, Hayes spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Pistons before being waived in February. Hayes’ agreement with the Nets was first reported in late July. While Hayes is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll reportedly be given an opportunity to earn a regular season roster spot.

Martin’s agreement with the Nets was not previously reported, but had been speculated after Long Island traded for his returning rights from the Iowa Wolves a couple weeks ago. That indicates that Martin, who played for Brooklyn’s Summer League squad in July, likely signed an Exhibit 10 deal as well.

A 25-year-old wing who started his college career at Rhode Island before finishing at UConn, Martin was the 51st pick of the 2022 draft. He spent his rookie year on a standard deal with the Hawks, but only appeared in 16 regular season games for a total of 66 minutes, having spent most of the campaign in the G League.

Atlanta released Martin last summer, making him a free agent. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Minnesota last fall, was waived before 2023/24 began, and spent all of last season with the team’s NBAGL affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. In 39 total games with Iowa (33.5 MPG), Martin averaged 16.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.2 APG and 0.9 SPG on .447/.331/.831 shooting.

Unlike Hayes, Martin only has one year of NBA service time, making him eligible for a two-way contract. Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts, and Brooklyn has one two-way opening after signing Yongxi Cui.

The Nets now have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit, with several other reported agreements that have yet to be finalized.

Nets To Sign Killian Hayes

July 25th, 2024 at 5:20pm CST by Luke Adams

5:20pm: Hayes’ deal with the Nets will be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

4:25pm: The Nets have agreed to a deal with former lottery pick Killian Hayes, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Hayes will sign a one-year contract and will have an opportunity to compete for a regular season roster spot in Brooklyn.

The seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft, Hayes spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Pistons before being waived this February at the trade deadline. He has been an unrestricted free agent since then.

Hayes, who will turn 23 on Saturday, entered the NBA with a reputation for being a solid defender and passer whose offensive game was a work in progress, and that’s essentially still the case, as his shooting percentages increased only marginally over the course of his four years in the league.

Hayes averaged 6.9 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game across 42 appearances (31 starts) this past season, with a shooting line of .413/.297/.660. Those field goal and three-point percentages actually represent career bests. His career NBA averages are 8.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 2.9 RPG on .382/.277/.775 shooting in 210 games (145 starts).

While the exact details of Hayes’ deal have yet to be reported, it’ll almost certainly be a minimum-salary contract. And since he isn’t assured of a 15-man roster spot, I’d expect his salary to either be non-guaranteed or to include just a modest partial guarantee.

The Nets are carrying 15 players on standard contracts prior to officially signing Hayes. Of those players, 13 are on fully guaranteed deals. Keon Johnson has a $250K partial guarantee, while Jalen Wilson has a partial guarantee of $75K.

Nets Notes: Hayes, Johnson, Marks

July 15th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets attended a Monday workout in Las Vegas for guard Killian Hayes, Erik Slater of Clutch Points tweets.

Hayes, a 2020 lottery pick, was waived by the Pistons after the trade deadline last season and has remained a free agent. He averaged 6.9 points and 4.9 assists in 42 games last season but shooting woes led to him losing his starting spot before he was cut loose. Hayes has shot 38.2% from the field in his career and 27.7% on 3-point tries.

We have more on the Nets:

Cameron Johnson is entering the second year of a four-year, $94.5MM contract. In the wake of the Mikal Bridges trade, Johnson is uncertain about the front office’s plans for him, stating to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis that he’s “still trying to figure it out.” If the Nets retain him, Johnson says he’s excited by the youthful roster. “I think we have a pretty good group in Brooklyn that we can really start to grow something,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of talent in the building. … If I’m staying in Brooklyn, then I’m all-in, excited to play, excited to grow this group, and that’s where my head’s at right now.”
Management plans to stay below the tax line until the Nets becomes competitive again. “Us not being in the tax this year was by design,” general manager Sean Marks said, per Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. “We don’t plan on being in there, and we’ll kept that future flexibility and make sure when it’s the right time, we’ve got an ownership group, like Joe (Tsai), who has shown the capacity to go in and pay tax when we’re competitors, when we’re really gonna contend for a championship. So that in our back pocket is vital, too.”
In case you missed it, the Nets made re-signing Nic Claxton a priority this offseason and believe he could become the league’s premier defender. Get the details here.

And-Ones: France, Japan, FAs, Klutch, West, Wright

June 27th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, host nation France has announced that two players from its preliminary 19-man roster have been cut (Twitter link): former NBA guard Killian Hayes, who is currently an unrestricted free agent, and Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng.

Neither Hayes nor Dieng have ever suited up for the senior national team, according to Eurohoops, but they did represent their home country at the youth level. The French national team will need to trim its roster down to 12 players from the current 17 before the Olympics begin at the end of July.

Japan recently announced its own 16-man preliminary roster ahead of the Olympics, per Eurohoops. Lakers forward Rui Hachimura headlines the group, which also features Yuta Watanabe. France, Japan, Germany and the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Latvia will comprise Group C of the 12-team tournament.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

John Hollinger of The Athletic ranks the top free agent small forwards and power forwards, respectively. Hollinger’s BORD$ formula rates LeBron James as the top overall free agent regardless of position, with Paul George the top small forward. Free agents can begin negotiating with other teams on June 30.
Klutch Sports Group and Rich Paul have been sued in federal court by longtime NBA agent Mark Termini, writes Mark Vorkunov of The Athletic. Termini, a former associate of Klutch, is suing for $4.9MM plus interest for an alleged breach of contract. Termini claims Klutch began paying him less than he was owed as the “lead negotiator” on several contracts from 2018-20. “This lawsuit is inaccurate and misguided,” a Klutch spokesperson said. “And will be addressed in the proper forum.”
Virginia prosecutors have dropped a pair of criminal charges — felony drug possession and violation of pretrial conditions — against former NBA guard Delonte West, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The 40-year-old is still facing two other charges (resisting arrest and obstruction of justice) stemming from his arrest earlier this month, according to Holmes, who adds that West is due in court on July 11.
The Knicks will soon have four former Villanova Wildcats on their roster, but former Nova coach Jay Wright has no intention of becoming a coach with New York or any other NBA team, he told Zach Braziller of The New York Post.