What Can Nets Fans Expect From Killian Hayes?

Earlier in the week, the Brooklyn Nets parted ways with Bojan Bogdanovic after it was announced that he would remain out for the rest of the season due to surgery he is set to receive on his foot.

The Croatian Sharpshooter’s reunion with the Nets saw him fail to suit up in a single game, due to the aforementioned injury to his foot. In an attempt to fill the spot left by Bogdanovic, the Nets front office decided to sign Killian Hayes to a 10-day contract.

Hayes isn’t new to Brooklyn’s organization, as he’s spent up until this point in the season in the G League with the Long Island Nets, managing to put up big numbers, averaging 20 points on 49 percent from the field, both of which place him towards the top of the team.

It wasn’t enough to limit him to the higher echelons of Long Island’s roster, but also the G League, ranking the 16th highest in the league for points per game, but the fifth highest for average assists.

While the Frenchman has proven his worth on the offensive end, he’s done more than enough to show off his defensive skills, leading the G League in steals per game, stripping nearly three opponents. All of these numbers are purely from his time with Long Island, which is certain to provide a different level of difficulty from what he’ll face as a part of Brooklyn.

But playing in the NBA isn’t something entirely new for Hayes, who has spent four seasons with the Detroit Pistons after he was selected with the seventh pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

His rookie campaign wouldn’t go exactly as he would’ve hoped, averaging roughly six points and five assists, while proving to be inconsistent from the field, only converting on 35 percent of his shots from the field.

These struggles would persist through last season when the Pistons decided to waive Hayes in February 2024.

Hayes isn’t guaranteed to receive plenty of playing time as the Nets added yet another guard to their rotation in the form of Tyrese Martin, who had his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal earlier on in the week.

Apart from Martin, Hayes will also have to compete with the likes of Jalen Wilson, Zaire Williams, and Keon Johnson.

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