Sacramento Kings Sign PG Killian Hayes to 2-Year Deal

The Sacramento Kings took an unexpected chance on Killian Hayes on a 10-day contract, and after signing a second one, the former seventh-overall pick is sticking around even longer than anticipated.

ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Kings are signing Hayes to a two-year contract to stay with the franchise, officially filling their final roster spot.

"The Sacramento Kings are signing guard Killian Hayes to a two-year deal, agent Yann Balikouzou of LIFT Sports Management tells ESPN. The former No. 7 pick played in 10 games for the Kings over two 10-day contracts and now lands a full deal," Charania reported on Sunday morning.

The Sacramento Kings are signing guard Killian Hayes to a two-year deal, agent Yann Balikouzou of LIFT Sports Management tells ESPN. The former No. 7 pick played in 10 games for the Kings over two 10-day contracts and now lands a full deal. pic.twitter.com/gFJtFSAwlc
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 15, 2026

Kings sign Hayes to two-year deal

Before signing with the Kings, the 24-year-old guard was spending all of his time in the NBA G League, struggling to find another spot at the next level after four years with the Detroit Pistons and a six-game stint with the Brooklyn Nets. Now, he has found a secure spot on an NBA roster again.

Through ten games with the Kings so far, Hayes is averaging 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and just 0.7 turnovers per game, although he has struggled as a scorer. Hayes is shooting 26.9% from the field and 20.8% from three-point range, but his playmaking ability has been on full display.

In his lone start as a King, Hayes posted 11 points, two rebounds, four assists, and two turnovers on 5-9 shooting from the field in 31 minutes of action. In the game before that, Hayes arguably had his best performance as a King in a win over the Indiana Pacers, dropping eight points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one turnover with a plus-15 rating.

Mar 11, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Killian Hayes (3) drives in against Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Sure, Hayes has not shown much promise to convince fans he deserves a standard contract, but he has obviously done enough to prove it to the front office. At just 24 years old, Hayes fits like a glove into the Kings' rebuild-minded timeline, and giving him some freedom in the final 14 games of the season could prove useful for his long-term outlook and the franchise's.

Past next season, Hayes' future in Sacramento is very cloudy, but it is worth taking a swing on the young point guard. Kings insider James Ham reports that the 2026-27 season of Hayes' contract is non-guaranteed. The best-case scenario is that Hayes becomes a productive backup point guard for the team, and the worst-case scenario is that the experiment fails and he is gone next year.

A low-risk, low-cost move to bolster the Kings' young core and point guard depth? Who can complain?