Killian Hayes Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Pelicans, Carter, Tate, Hayes, Nets

January 31st, 2024 at 11:40pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans are looking to shore up their frontcourt defense, but there aren’t many impact centers available on the trade market, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscriber link). Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. has been floated as a potential trade candidate, but Clark hears there is some “doubt” about Orlando moving him this season.

New Orleans doesn’t appear to hold much interest in Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray, but Clark says the Pelicans would make a “significant offer” for Nets wing Mikal Bridges if were ever made available. Multiple reports have stated Brooklyn is not interested in moving the 27-year-old.

According to Clark, the Pelicans may look for help on the buyout market if they can’t find a trade they like. They have an open roster spot and have Malcolm Hill on a 10-day deal, Clark notes.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Suns have shown some level of interest in Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM has heard the opposite, tweeting that Phoenix isn’t interested in Tate. The 28-year-old is earning $6.5MM this season and has a $7.1MM team option for 2024/25.
Pistons guard Killian Hayes received a Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision for the first time this season in Wednesday’s loss vs. Cleveland. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Hayes’ benching felt like “the unofficial end” of the former lottery pick’s time in Detroit, though it’s unclear if Hayes will be moved prior to the February 8 deadline or perhaps let go in the offseason. “It’s just hard to play four point guards,” head coach Monty Williams said. “(Marcus) Sasser is playing off ball just to get him on the floor. I talked to Killian (before the game) and told him this was the route I was going to go.” Edwards hears Detroit nearly traded Hayes last summer before hiring Williams, who was interested in working with the 22-year-old.
Multiple Nets players, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, have popped up in recent trade rumors. Cam Thomas says the team is doing its best to ignore the outside noise, as Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post relays. “Unspoken really, nobody really wants to talk about everybody’s situation,” Thomas said. “Everybody reads stuff, but I think it’s (an) unspoken (thing). Nobody talks about that kind of stuff. We’re just enjoying the moment that we have here and just playing together as a team. We playing well as a team. Everybody gets along, so we’re just enjoying the moment.“

Killian Hayes Meets Starter Criteria

January 17th, 2024 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Killian Hayes has met the “starter criteria” for potential restricted free agents by making his 26th start of the season on Wednesday night vs. Minnesota.

An RFA-to-be meets the starter criteria – which dictates the value of his qualifying offer – when he starts 41 games or plays 2,000 minutes in the final season of his contract, or when he averages 41 starts (or 2,000 minutes) in his last two seasons before free agency. Hayes made 56 starts in 2022/23, so he has now made 82 over the past two seasons, for an average of 41.

As a result of meeting the starter criteria, Hayes’ qualifying offer, if the Pistons opt to issue one this summer to make him a restricted free agent, will be worth $9,942,114. Had he failed to meet the criteria, the value of that QO would have been $7,744,600.

For a player who is expected to sign a lucrative long-term contract, the value of that qualifying offer generally doesn’t matter much, since it essentially functions as a placeholder while he negotiates a multiyear deal.

However, for a player like Hayes, who isn’t assured of a major payday in free agency, that figure looms larger. Now that he has bumped the value of his qualifying offer from $7.7MM to $9.9MM, the Pistons may be less inclined to give him that QO — and if they do, Hayes may be more inclined to accept it, locking in a one-year salary just shy of $10MM.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Hayes has averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game in 203 career appearances (26.3 MPG). The 22-year-old has put up 7.4 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 2.9 RPG on .400/.279/.681 shooting this season. He reclaimed his spot in Detroit’s starting five after Cade Cunningham was sidelined last week due to a knee injury.

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Hayes, Sasser, Ivey, Thompson

January 8th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

A historically bad season in Detroit has the potential to get much worse. Cade Cunningham, who’s been one of the Pistons‘ few bright spots in this 3-33 campaign, left Sunday’s loss at Denver with a strained left knee midway through the second quarter, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

There wasn’t a single play on which Cunningham appeared to get hurt, which raises more concerns about the potential injury. Coach Monty Williams wasn’t able to provide any specifics after the game, and Sankofa states that the team can’t rule out the chance that Cunningham will miss more time.

“He’s important,” Williams said. “Our franchise player. A guy like that can’t play, it has a trickle-down effect across the board. We have different guys stepping up in the pecking order, having to handle the ball and make plays and that kind of thing. Pretty clear how important Cade is to our program.”

Amid the Pistons’ disastrous season, Cunningham has enjoyed a career year, averaging 23.4 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds while appearing in all 36 games so far. The top pick in the 2021 draft has been playing his best basketball recently, Sankofa adds, scoring 30 points or more in six of his last nine games. He has also improved as a play-maker while reducing his turnover rate and has shown no lingering effects from the shin surgery that limited him to 12 games last season.

There’s more on the Pistons:

Killian Hayes replaced Cunningham in the starting lineup for the second half Sunday and Marcus Sasser was back in the rotation, notes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. They’re likely to have expanded roles if Cunningham is forced to miss games, and Edwards expects Jaden Ivey to be given more play-making duties. Edwards also notes that the Pistons are considered to be buyers rather than sellers as the trade deadline approaches, hoping to add veteran leaders to mentor their young talent, but a prolonged absence for Cunningham could make them reconsider that approach.
In an interview with Basket USA, Hayes expressed a desire to continue his career with the Pistons beyond this season. He’s headed toward restricted free agency after not reaching an extension with the team. “Right now, I’m in Detroit and we’re going to do everything we can to finish the season strong and then we’ll have discussions this summer,” Hayes said. “I’ve spent my entire NBA career in Detroit and it would be a pleasure to be able to stay. After all, it’s not just me who decides, but Detroit is my home. It’s been my home for three, four years and I hope to stay.”
Williams explained why rookie Ausar Thompson has seen a reduced role after a strong start, Edwards tweets. “Other guys are back and playing and, at the same time, every young player needs to process when they make repetitive mistakes,” Williams said. “There are a number of ways to develop players.”

Pistons Notes: Weaver, Gores, Lineup Change, Bogdanovic

December 3rd, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons dropped their 17th straight game Saturday to fall to 2-18, but the organization is still emphasizing patience instead of panic, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Sources tell Sankofa that ownership is unlikely to make major front office changes with so much of the season remaining, which means general manager Troy Weaver will have more time to fix the current mess.

Still, Sankofa cites concern throughout the franchise as no one expected this season to start so badly. Coming off the worst three-year stretch in team history, the Pistons thought they were ready to take a step toward contention. Instead, they have the worst record in the league and are just 4-41 since February 12.

Sankofa traces everything that has gone wrong in Detroit, including management’s decision to be conservative with its offseason cap space while counting on the development of young players to make the team better. The Pistons traded for Monte Morris, who was supposed to bring veteran leadership to the backcourt, but he hasn’t played yet and may be sidelined through January with a quad strain. Joe Harris was acquired to add shooting, but injuries have limited him to seven games and he’s connecting at just 36% from the field.

There’s more from Detroit:

There’s nothing to be gained by firing Weaver now, but owner Tom Gores will have no choice if things don’t improve over the rest of the season, contends Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press. Windsor argues that Weaver hasn’t done anything in his three-plus years with the organization to justify letting him run another draft or oversee the considerable money the Pistons will have to chase free agents next summer.
Coach Monty Williams made a lineup change Saturday night, using guards Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes as starters, per Mike Curtis of The Detroit News. Williams explained that the move was made partially to match up with Cleveland’s small backcourt, but he likes the way his three guards have been performing together. Curtis notes that Cunningham played off the ball more frequently for the second straight game and showed better decision making with his shooting.
The Pistons got a much-needed addition Saturday night with the season debut of Bojan Bogdanovic, who had been sidelined with a strained right calf. Bogdanovic said he suffered the injury shortly before training camp and had another setback that kept him out longer than expected, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

Pistons Bench Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson

November 30th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pistons made a pair of significant lineup changes before their 118-112 loss to the Knicks on Thursday night, benching Jaden Ivey and rookie Ausar Thompson and moving Killian Hayes and Isaiah Livers into their starting lineup. With their 16th straight loss, they became the first team to go winless for an entire month since the 2015 Sixers.

Coach Monty Williams making the decision to bench both Ivey and Thompson is significant. Ivey was a key starter for Detroit last season after being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, averaging 16.3 points in 73 starts last year.

However, his role has been much more suppressed this year under Williams. His efficiency is up (50.8% from the floor this year entering Thursday compared to 41.6% last season), but he’s only started in five of his 15 appearances and was down to 23.4 minutes per night (from 31.1) entering Thursday.

Ivey didn’t begin the year as a starter, with Hayes taking on that role before relenting it to Ivey over the past five games. Hayes, the No. 7 overall pick in 2020, was averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 assists per game entering Thursday but recorded 23 points on 76.9% shooting against New York.

According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link), Williams said the decision to start Hayes over Ivey came down to him liking Hayes’ ability to allow Cade Cunningham to play off the ball more and he likes how the fourth-year guard can get the team organized.

As for Thompson, he was a full-time starter before his benching Thursday. This year’s No. 5 overall pick has been one of the most impressive rookies this season, averaging 11.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks. Livers started in his place, recording six points and four rebounds.

Neither Thompson or Ivey played major roles off the bench on Thursday, with both logging just 13 minutes of game time, though Thompson had five fouls. That marks Ivey’s second-lowest minute total this season and Thompson’s lowest in his young career. Marcus Sasser finished with the most minutes off the bench, recording 17 points.

While losing their 16th straight game is obviously disappointing, the Pistons kept it close with the Knicks and seemed to find something with how they utilized Cunningham, tweets Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. Cunningham finished with 31 points and eight assists. Mike Curtis of The Detroit News observes that the Pistons’ three-guard lineup of Cunningham, Ivey and Hayes helped kick-start a 13-0 run and when Ivey was subbed out, the Knicks hit back.

We’ll be watching Detroit to see what happens with the team’s young pieces moving forward. So far, their young core hasn’t meshed well and moves could be on the way if their losing ways continue. In the short term, Bojan Bogdanovic is expected back soon, which should help with the Pistons’ spacing issues (they ranked 29th in made threes entering Thursday).

Central Rumors: Pistons, Bulls, Hield, Cavaliers

November 29th, 2023 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic is expected to be the Pistons trade candidate who generates the most interest from rival teams this season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who hears from league sources that the club turned down two first-round picks from a contender in an offer for Bogdanovic last season.

It’s unclear what sort of protections those first-rounders might’ve had, but head coach Monty Williams “loves” Bogdanovic, per Scotto, so Detroit may set a high asking price for him again at the 2024 deadline.

Alec Burks, Monte Morris, and Killian Hayes are among the other Pistons players who figure to draw trade interest this winter, Scotto writes. League sources tell HoopsHype that Detroit had exploratory talks earlier this year with the Rockets about a trade that would have sent Burks to Houston in exchange for several second-round picks and Kevin Porter Jr. (who would’ve been waived).

Here are a few more of Scotto’s trade-related rumors and notes from around the Central:

Bulls guard Alex Caruso would be a hot commodity on the trade market if he’s available, but rival executives who spoke to Scotto say Chicago still hasn’t shown a willingness to move him. Multiple execs believe the Bulls could get a first-round pick and a rotation player for Caruso, Scotto notes.
How much might the Bulls get in exchange for Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan? “I think Zach LaVine can get a first back, maybe another first-round pick if it’s in this draft since it’s so weak,” one executive told Scotto. “DeMar DeRozan is worth a first in this draft in the 20s since it’s a weak draft, and he’s unrestricted at the end of the season. He can be a third scorer on a winning team.” Scotto says the Bulls are currently valuing players who could help them win immediately, rather than looking to tear down the roster and stockpile future draft picks.
Although Buddy Hield was identified in September as a potential trade candidate, the Pacers have set a high asking price for the veteran sharpshooter and don’t appear particularly eager to move him, according to Scotto. Five NBA executives who spoke to HoopsHype suggested it would take a first-round pick and a rotation player to pry Hield away from Indiana. Rival teams are also monitoring veteran Pacers guard, T.J. McConnell, Scotto adds.
Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert had their names pop up in trade speculation last season, but the Cavaliers want to keep both players through the 2024 deadline, barring a deal that moves the club closer to title contention, per Scotto.

Injury Notes: Herro, Vassell, Pistons, Celtics

November 20th, 2023 at 1:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Tyler Herro is no longer using a walking boot, the team confirmed on Monday, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

Herro, who has been out of action since Nov. 8 after sustaining a Grade 2 right ankle sprain, was set to wear the boot for 10 days. Assuming the original plan is in place, he will be reevaluated later this week.

Reporting after Herro’s injury indicated that he could miss “several” weeks, so it would be surprising if he’s back on the court in the near future. Still, it’s encouraging that he seems to be on track with the recovery plan thus far.

Herro is in the first season of a four-year, $120MM+ rookie scale extension he signed last year. The 23-year-old was off to a strong start this season prior to the injury, averaging 25.3 points per game on .446/.410/.909 shooting in his seven healthy games (all starts) while also chipping in 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per night.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Spurs guard Devin Vassell will miss his third consecutive game — and fifth overall — due to a left adductor strain, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Vassell is one of 14 players subject to the poison pill provision in 2023/24 after inking a five-year, $135MM+ rookie scale extension last month.
The Pistons were down six players in Sunday’s loss to Toronto, but three have a chance to return on Monday against Denver. Killian Hayes (left shoulder sprain) is probable, while Jalen Duren (ankle) and Isaiah Livers (ankle) are questionable, according to the NBA’s official injury report. Livers, who has yet to make his season debut, was also questionable on Sunday. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), the Pistons don’t play again until Friday, so returning Monday would give Livers additional time to see how his ankle responds.
They aren’t injured, but the Celtics will be without two key rotation players on Monday against Charlotte. Veteran big man Al Horford is resting on the second night of a back-to-back, while Derrick White is out for personal reasons, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.

Central Notes: C. Porter, Giannis, Dame, Pacers, Pistons

November 20th, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Of the three players on two-way contracts with the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley‘s brother Isaiah Mobley and former five-star recruit Emoni Bates are the bigger names. However, it has been Cleveland’s third two-way player – point guard Craig Porter Jr. – who has been emerging as the one with the most important role in the short term.

As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, Porter earned the game ball from Sunday’s upset win over the Nuggets by scoring 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 25 minutes of action. It was an impressive showing for an undrafted rookie who was expected to spend most of his first season in the G League getting acclimated to the pro game. Porter has received an opportunity to play because Ricky Rubio is absent for personal reasons and Ty Jerome is out with an ankle injury.

“That’s just one of the things they told me early in the year after training camp and stuff like that. ‘Just be ready, you never know when your number’s gonna be called,'” Porter said. “I took that to heart and it’s been working for me. … As the games go on and as some guys fall down with injuries and stuff, I’m going to keep getting my opportunity. Each game, the confidence just builds and builds. The coaches believe in me, and the guys are just pushing me to be better. I’m ready for it.”

According to Fedor, the Cavaliers had a verbal two-way offer on the table for Porter in the event he went undrafted, but the team wanted him badly enough to try to acquire an additional second-round pick after drafting Bates at No. 49. Cleveland ultimately didn’t find a trade partner, so the front office was relieved when Porter went undrafted. He reached an agreement with the Cavs on a two-year, two-way deal shortly after the draft ended.

“He’s mature,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the 23-year-old. “He’s an older rookie, so to speak. You just feel like you can trust him and you don’t feel like he gets rattled in the moment. It makes it easy to put him on the floor. You know what he’s going to do. … A lot of guys come into the league as young rookies and they’re still searching for their game. Craig knows what his game is. Never over his skis. That’s how Craig has been for us since he’s gotten here.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

The chemistry between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in Saturday’s win over Dallas looked like what the Bucks envisioned when they traded for Lillard, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The star duo combined for 67 points, 19 assists, and 18 rebounds in the victory, with Antetokounmpo racking up 40 of those points. Lillard said after the game that he’s happy to cede center stage to his two-time MVP teammate. “I think tonight, he’s the horse,” Lillard said. “I wanna see him be four-time MVP or five-time MVP and have those type of games.”
Sunday’s blowout home loss to Orlando was Tyrese Haliburton‘s worst game of the season and a reminder of how dependent the Pacers‘ success is on their star point guard, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, who suggests that the club will probably need a second star on its roster to establish itself as a consistent winner.
Due to a sprained left shoulder, Killian Hayes missed Sunday’s game for the Pistons, who started second-year guard Jaden Ivey for the first time this season. As Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscription required) writes, head coach Monty Williams said before the game that he has been considered bringing Hayes off the bench to add his play-making to the second unit, so Ivey may see more starts going forward. However, Detroit’s lineup remains in flux with so many players affected by injuries — it could continue to change in the coming days and weeks, Curtis notes.

Central Notes: LaVine, Williams, Wiseman, Hayes, Pistons

November 2nd, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Rory Maher

There has been speculation that the Sixers might have interest in Zach LaVine, but a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the Bulls have “no intention” of trading the two-time All-Star in the near future, and even if they change their mind, Chicago’s front office probably wouldn’t be interested in what Philadelphia has to offer.

LaVine, who is in the second year of a five-year, maximum-salary contract, recently said he’s not bothered to see his name pop up in rumors again. The Bulls are off to a 2-3 start and will face Brooklyn on Friday for their first in-season tournament game.

Here’s more from the Central:

Patrick Williams was eligible for a rookie scale extension before the season began, but that deadline has passed and now he could be a restricted free agent next summer if the Bulls tender him a qualifying offer. The former No. 4 overall pick has had a very slow start to 2023/24, averaging just 4.0 PPG and 3.2 RPG on .267/.125/1.000 shooting through five games (22.4 MPG). Still, the 22-year-old tells Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic that his contract situation isn’t on his mind. “Nah. None at all,” he said. “Knowing it’s a long season. Knowing what I can do. I’ve always had confidence in myself, what I can do, what I bring to the game. Knowing it’s going to be stretches like this and times like this. It’s all about how you bounce back from it. It’s not a matter of what you go through but how you go through it. I kind of look at it as an opportunity to show what I’m really made of. Everybody can be happy when everything’s going well for them. But when it’s not, when it’s shaky, when you can’t make a shot, when you lose a couple of games in a row, then what are you really made of?“
Pistons center James Wiseman, another player who could be a restricted free agent in 2024, made his season debut in Wednesday’s loss to Portland, notes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link). The 2020 No. 2 overall pick finished with four points and two rebounds in six minutes off the bench, committing four fouls in his limited run, including three in a two-minute span in the first quarter.
Killian Hayes has once again struggled to score efficiently early in ’23/24, attempting 8.8 shots per game but only averaging 6.4 points (on .273/.235/.571 shooting), and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic believes it may be time for the Pistons to remove him from the starting lineup. As Edwards writes, Hayes got a starting guard spot after a strong preseason showing, but Detroit’s loss to Portland is the latest evidence that the team needs more offensive spacing. Alec Burks (once he returns from injury) and Jaden Ivey are logical choices to start, but Edwards wonders if rookie Marcus Sasser might be the best option for what head coach Monty Williams is seeking (shooting and defense).

Pistons Notes: Bogdanovic, Morris, Hayes, Umude, Predictions, Thompson

October 23rd, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bojan Bogdanovic (right calf soreness) and Monte Morris (lower back tightness) won’t play in the Pistons’ opener in Miami on Wednesday, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

Bogdanovic’s absence will alter the lineup, as he’s penciled as the starting small forward. Morris, acquired from Washington in a trade, is expected to play a key role off the bench.

Killian Hayes, who has been dealing with a left knee sprain, practiced in full on Sunday after missing Friday’s preseason finale. He might fill in for Bogdanovic in the starting lineup.

We have more on the Pistons:

Detroit converted Stanley Umude to a two-way contract on Monday and it was a popular move in the locker room, Sankofa tweets in a video link. “That was probably the best part. seeing how happy they were for me. .. seeing that they knew how hard I worked for it,” Umude said.
Will the Pistons make a trade packaging multiple players? That’s one of the predictions James Edwards III of The Athletic makes, among nine others, regarding this season. Edwards also believes Ausar Thompson will be a All-Rookie First Team selection.
Expanding on that topic, coach Monty Williams marvels at how Thompson has an uncanny ability to snatch rebounds, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. “Some of the rebounds he comes up with, I mean, you catch yourself on the bench, like, ‘Did you see that?’ ” Williams said. “I think there’s some stat about since Summer League, he’s gotten eight-plus rebounds every time he steps on the floor.”