Killian Hayes Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Wood, Okafor, Hayes, Williams

November 12th, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In an extensive look at intriguing free agent Pistons big man Christian Wood, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer offers some intel on Wood’s possible asking price in free agency and his potential suitors.

There is a significant disparity among O’Connor’s league sources in gauging the annual cost of Wood. Some speculate that Wood may net a deal in the range of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception – which starts at $9.3MM per year – while others think he could earn as much as $18MM a season, equivalent to the current yearly take of Pacers center Myles Turner with incentives. O’Connor expects both championship-caliber clubs looking to add size and young squads making a playoff push to have an interest in Wood’s services.

There’s more out of the Motor City:

In other Pistons big man news, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets that former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor may be a high-scoring, cost-effective option for Detroit. Still just 24, the 6’10” Okafor most recently served as a reserve center for the Pelicans from 2018-20.
BBL guard Killian Hayes, regarded as a high-level lottery prospect, has worked out for the Pistons, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. The Pistons, led by new GM Troy Weaver, have the No. 7 pick in next week’s 2020 draft, though they may consider trading up to secure a player they like.
The positional versatility of multifaceted 6’8″ Florida State forward Patrick Williams could intrigue Pistons front office brass. “I’m obviously trying to work as hard as I can every day,” Williams said during a call with reporters today, though he would not elaborate on the teams for whom he has worked out. “My agent and I are kind of keeping team workouts in-house and between us.” Multiple reports have suggested Detroit is high on Williams.

Draft Rumors: Lewis, Hayes, Nesmith, Okongwu, More

October 29th, 2020 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Alabama’s Kira Lewis Jr. is generating some buzz among teams in the top half of the first round, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who hears that Lewis has worked out in person for the Magic, Knicks, Pistons, and Bulls within the last week. A previous report indicated that Lewis has had multiple virtual interviews with Phoenix as well.

Pre-draft workouts don’t necessarily count for much in a typical year, when teams bring in dozens of prospects for a closer look for the sake of due diligence. However, Wasserman contends that it’s fair to “read into” those workouts in 2020. Since teams are only permitted to conduct in-person visits with up to 10 players, they generally aren’t wasting their time by meeting with players who aren’t of legitimate interest.

Here’s more on the draft from Wasserman:

In addition to the Pistons and Knicks, point guard Killian Hayes is also receiving interest from the Hawks and Kings, per Wasserman.
Sources tell Wasserman that Vanderbilt sharpshooter Aaron Nesmith is drawing interest from late-lottery teams, including the Suns.
Florida State big man Patrick Williams is among the prospects in play for the Pistons at No. 7, Wasserman writes.
Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski has become a popular draft sleeper and could even come off the board before the 20s, league sources tell Wasserman.
The Lakers, Bucks, and Sixers are among the teams displaying interest in Stanford’s Tyrell Terry, according to Wasserman.
There are whispers that Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard has received a promise from a team. While Wasserman has been unable to confirm that promise, he says that Pritchard has many fans in NBA front offices and may be a first-round pick.
Wasserman’s latest update to his big board at Bleacher Report has Onyeka Okongwu in the top three. A source tells Wasserman that the Wizards are hoping Okongwu falls to them at No. 9 and may look to trade their pick if he’s not available.

Knicks Notes: Childs, Toppin, Hayes, Draft Preparation

October 24th, 2020 at 6:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks recently interviewed BYU’s Yoeli Childs and could have interest in the power forward/center as a second-round pick, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York has talked to several prospects in that range, Begley adds, but Childs should be considered part of the group receiving consideration for the team’s selection at No. 38.

Childs has been reportedly been impressive during interviews with teams that own picks in upper half of the second round. He averaged 22.2 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Cougars during his senior season and was a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, which recognizes the best power forward in college basketball. Childs is also a threat from beyond the arc, hitting 48.9% of his 3-point attempts last season.

There’s more from New York City:

Alex Smith of SNY.tv examines the pros and cons for the Knicks of selecting Dayton forward Obi Toppin if he falls to the eighth slot. Toppin was the NCAA’s best player last season, averaging 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and winning the Naismith Trophy. He’s athletic at 6’9″, loves to drive to the basket and as a Brooklyn native, he would be a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. However, he doesn’t fill the team’s top priority, which is finding a point guard, and there might not be a clear position for him in the NBA.
French point guard Killian Hayes goes to the Knicks in the latest mock draft from Brian Lewis of The New York Post. A report earlier this week listed Hayes as the second point guard on New York’s draft board, behind only LaMelo Ball. Lewis has Ball going to Minnesota with the No. 1 pick.
With three selections, the Knicks face difficult choices about which players to see in person, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. The Timberwolves and Warriors have indicated that their picks might be available in trade, so New York needs to be well versed in all the top prospects in case the club gets an opportunity to move up. But there are also plenty of players to study for choices at No. 27 and 38. Without a traditional draft combine this year, the league is allowing teams to watch players in person from October 16 to November 16.

Eastern Notes: Raptors’ Home, Hornets, Hayes, Maxey

October 23rd, 2020 at 7:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite travel restriction and protocols due to the pandemic, the Raptors remain hopeful they’ll play in Toronto next season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets. The organization has discussed several contingency options but it is not interested in moving games to Louisville, refuting a report earlier this week.

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

The league’s Board of Governors is pondering a Christmas-time start to next season and that could benefit the Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The free agency period would be sped up and Charlotte, which will be significantly below the cap, could make bargain signings and acquire future assets while providing trade partners relief by taking on cumbersome contracts. The Hornets, who weren’t invited to the restart, would also like to get next season started sooner rather than later, Bonnell adds.
Killian Hayes might be a great fit for the Pistons with their lottery pick, Matt Babcock of BabcockHoops.com tells Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. The overseas prospect is ranked No. 9 by ESPN and Detroit has the No. 7 pick but Hayes would fill a need at the point. “I think he’s a guy that could end up being sort of a lead playmaker, primary ball-handler and somewhat of a dynamic player,” Babcock told Sankofa.
The Sixers own the No. 21 pick and Kentucky combo guard Tyrese Maxey could develop into a rotation player if he slips to that spot, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Maxey projects as a jack-of-all-trades type of player but needs to develop his shot to be a factor. The shooting guard is currently ranked No. 15 by ESPN.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Hayes, Nets, Harris, Sixers

October 21st, 2020 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

Killian Hayes has a “narrow edge” as the second point guard on the Knicks‘ draft board, behind LaMelo Ball, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post.

As Berman writes, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Knicks would select Hayes if he’s available at No. 8. The team likes some non-point guards near the top of the draft, including Obi Toppin and Isaac Okoro, and has also mulled the possibility of trading down. However, Berman’s report suggests the Knicks would favor Hayes over other point guards such as Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, and Kira Lewis, among others.

Hayes, who spent the 2019/20 season in Germany, has agreed to do a limited number of private, in-person workouts with teams, according to Berman, who adds that the Knicks will probably be one of those teams.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Nets should expect to receive a good deal of competition when they attempt to re-sign Joe Harris this offseason, Zach Lowe said this week on his Lowe Post podcast. “These teams with cap room all view Joe as a potential very good fit on the floor and a good culture guy,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “I think Harris may have even more of an market because teams trust their defense more. He’s more sort of positionally fluid on defense. I think the Nets are going to have to pay (around) $15MM per year to keep Joe Harris.”
In the wake of a report that indicated the Nets looked into a Jrue Holiday trade at last season’s deadline, Brian Lewis of The New York Post examines Brooklyn’s potential interest in the Pelicans guard and weighs the possibility of an offseason deal.
Rich Hofmann of The Athletic evaluates a number of hypothetical trade proposals involving the Sixers. Besides considering popular subjects of trade speculation such as Chris Paul and Buddy Hield, Hofmann also explores trade ideas involving under-the-radar targets like Tomas Satoransky and Delon Wright.

Knicks Rumors: Westbrook, Draft, Okoro, Vassell

October 15th, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

While Chris Paul‘s name has been connected most frequently to the Knicks in recent months, it’s worth keeping an eye on Russell Westbrook as well, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley reports that some agents who represent top free agent point guards think the Knicks will “poke around” on a possible Westbrook trade if the Rockets make him available.

It’s certainly not a sure thing that Houston considers moving Westbrook this offseason. And even in that scenario, “poking around” doesn’t mean that the Knicks would make a deal.

Still, the Knicks are well-positioned to take on a big contract like Westbrook’s, which has three years and more than $132MM left on it. Begley also cites sources who say that Westbrook viewed New York as a favorable landing spot when the Thunder were shopping him last July. So if the Rockets do mull a potential trade at some point, it’s a safe bet the Knicks will be linked to the star point guard.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Earlier in October, multiple teams told people around top draft prospects that the Knicks were exploring the possibility of trading up for a top pick, according to Begley. A recent report indicated that New York likes LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman, but that report also suggested the club is looking at trading down from No. 8, not up. That leaves Begley to speculate that the Knicks are simply doing their homework on several scenarios and that looking into trading up doesn’t mean the team is committed to doing so.
With the Nos. 8 and 27 picks currently in hand, the Knicks have expressed “degrees of interest” in the likes of Isaac Okoro, Devin Vassell, Killian Hayes, Kira Lewis Jr., Cole Anthony, Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, Theo Maledon, Tyrell Terry, Precious Achiuwa, and Isaiah Joe, writes Begley.
In case you missed it, the Knicks are currently tied with Detroit for the second-worst odds to win the Eastern Conference in 2021.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Pistons, Magic

October 14th, 2020 at 8:55pm CST by Jovan Alford

Former Kings head coach Dave Joerger is under consideration to join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff with the Sixers, according to Frank Isola (Twitter link). Joerger, who also coached the Grizzlies, interviewed for the Pacers’ head-coaching vacancy earlier this month.

As things stand, Rivers has not finalized his coaching staff in Philadelphia. Derek Bodner of The Athletic looked at several candidates last week who could join Rivers on the sidelines next season. Some of the names mentioned were Tyronn Lue, Sam Cassell, Armond Hill, and Rex Kalamian.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

Blake Murphy of The Athletic considers possible free-agent center targets for the Raptors, explaining that center is a pressing need for Toronto, even if the team re-signs Serge Ibaka or Marc Gasol. Murphy breaks down multiple free-agent targets into three tiers based on the Raptors’ financial situation, identifying Montrezl Harrell and Danilo Gallinari as expensive options while naming the likes of Jakob Poeltl and Noah Vonleh as more affordable alternatives.
In his latest mailbag, Rod Beard of The Detroit News suggests that Tyrese Haliburton or Killian Hayes would be a good pick for the Pistons in the 2020 draft. “Most mock drafts I’ve seen have one of those two available, and if they come out with either, they’d be happy with the pick, because they’d have filled a big roster gap,” he writes. The Pistons currently own the seventh overall pick, which means they’re in a prime position to take the best player available. Both Haliburton and Hayes are expected to be lottery picks next month.
Josh Robbins of The Athletic discusses the potential offseason moves that could be in store for the Magic in his latest mailbag. One of the questions that Robbins answered concerned the future of Evan Fournier. The 27-year-old guard has a $17.2M player option for the 2020/21 season, which he could ultimately decline next month. However, Robbins believes Fournier will likely accept the option due to the dip in NBA revenue as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Last season with Orlando, he averaged 18.5 PPG and shot 39.9% from three-point range.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Bulls, Wizards

October 7th, 2020 at 8:36pm CST by Jovan Alford

In a pivotal offseason for the Sixers, they are reportedly making a change to their front office structure, according to Yaron Weitzman (Twitter link). Weitzman reports that Philadelphia is in the process of interviewing candidates to serve in an executive role under general manager Elton Brand.

As things stand, Alex Rucker is the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Sixers, while Ned Cohen is serving as the team’s assistant general manager. However, reports since August have indicated the team is looking at changing its front office personnel and structure, and Rucker is reportedly not expected back in his current role.

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

Blake Murphy and Eric Koreen of The Athletic role-play ed what a potential contract extension negotiation would look like for Raptors wing OG Anunoby. The 23-year-old could receive a rookie-scale extension this offseason or become a restricted free agent after the 2020/21 season. The two Athletic writers detail various contract scenarios, while also looking at how Anunoby compares to other players who received rookie extensions after their third NBA seasons.
In his latest mailbag, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago discusses Kris Dunn‘s outlook and identifies Wendell Carter as the player who might benefit the most from being coached by Billy Donovan. Johnson also mentions that it is not likely the Bulls keep both Dunn and Shaquille Harrison.
The Wizards‘ team website explores Killian Hayes‘s potential fit with Washington. The Wizards own the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which leaves them in the position to take the best player available. This season in Germany, Hayes averaged 12.8 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 26.8 MPG. The 19-year-old guard is projected to be drafted in the lottery.

Pistons Notes: Thomas, Doumbouya, Bone, Hayes

October 3rd, 2020 at 6:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Khyri Thomas finally got a chance to show the Pistons what he can do after injuries limited him to eight games this season, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Thomas, who underwent foot surgery last October, was fully recovered for the team’s mini-camp and impressed coach Dwane Casey with his performance.

“I thought Khyri Thomas had a great week along with Bruce (Brown),” Casey said. “But Khyri shot the ball extremely well. I was happy that finally the young man is healthy. Fought the foot problems last year and the year before. But really shot the ball and completed the camp with no issues whatsoever. Really proud of the way Khyri came out and played.”

Detroit saw enough potential in Thomas to trade up for him in the second round of the 2018 draft. However, he only has a partial guarantee on his $1.66MM contract, so his status for next season is uncertain.

There’s more from Detroit:

The Pistons may use power forward Sekou Doumbouya as a center in their zone defense, Sankofa notes in a camp roundup. Casey, who is also urging Doumbouya to improve as a ball-handler, believes the rookie has the athleticism and instincts to handle the expanded duties. “He’s going to have some versatility for us, especially the way the league is going if we do go small in that situation,” Casey said. “Was really pleased with the way he adapted. That’s the way to go to be a quarterback in the middle of the zone, you have to be a radar. He fits the bill in that position.”
Jordan Bone spent most of his first professional season in the G League, but Casey told Sankofa he saw improvement in the second-round pick during camp. “I thought he did a good job in the camp the last three weeks of changing speeds,” Casey said. “Really pushing the ball up the floor, not seeing anything and then attacking. That was his gift. His gift is his speed and I thought he did a better job this week.”
Killian Hayes would love to join Doumbouya, a fellow Frenchman, in Detroit, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. A 6’5″ point guard who is considered one of the best passers in the draft, Hayes may still be on the board when the Pistons pick at No. 7. “I have a great relationship with Sekou,” Hayes said. “I’ve done multiple camps with him. It would be an easy adjustment if I went (to Detroit) because I know him. He knows Detroit and would be able to show me around. Playing with him … it would be fun. He’s one of my guys.”

Draft Rumors: Hayes, J. Smith, Ball, Edwards, Krejci

September 28th, 2020 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s virtual combine underway, a handful of this year’s top draft-eligible prospects are speaking with reporters today on conference calls and are revealing some information about their pre-draft meetings.

French point guard Killian Hayes, for instance, confirmed that he has interviewed with the Spurs, Wizards, Knicks, Bulls, and Warriors, adding that his agent has told him to expect to come off the board between No. 2 and No. 10 on draft night (Twitter link via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic).

Maryland big man Jalen Smith told reporters, including Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter links), that he has met with the Wizards, Spurs, Raptors, Nets, Suns, and Bulls, among other teams. Smith ranks No. 20 on ESPN’s big board.

Potential No. 1 pick LaMelo Ball was more evasive when asked about his meetings, refusing to name any teams he has talked to except for the Knicks, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. That meeting occurred prior to the lottery, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).

While it’s possible Ball has had other meetings with top teams that he declined to mention, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) hears that the guard’s interview with the Timberwolves is still to come. Minnesota, of course, holds the top pick in the draft.

Here’s more on the draft:

There’s a belief around the NBA that the Timberwolves may make an effort to trade down from No. 1, but if they keep that pick, multiple sources believe they’ll select LaMelo Ball rather than Anthony Edwards, says Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
According to Wasserman, there’s some concern among scouts and executives about Edwards’ professionalism, drive, and desire to win. While the Georgia wing still figures to come off the board early, the likelihood of him falling to No. 3 appears to have increased, Wasserman notes.
One scout who spoke to Bleacher Report said his team will be putting more stock this year into prospects’ basketball IQ and other intangibles, and Wasserman believes other clubs around the NBA could take a similar approach. Tyrese Haliburton and Isaac Okoro are among the players who could benefit from that trend, Wasserman adds.
Czech guard Vit Krejci, who is playing for Zaragoza in Spain, has suffered a left ACL injury that will require surgery and is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season, according to the team (hat tip to Sportando). Krejci had declared for the 2020 NBA draft as an early entrant, but could still withdraw his name before the league’s November deadline.