Why isn’t Killian Hayes playing for France in FIBA EuroBasket?

Killian Hayes is entering his third season with the Detroit Pistons and it will be crucial one for the 21-year-old point guard.

The Pistons will have to decide on his next team option in October, and Hayes still has plenty to prove to show that he is worth the investment, though Detroit is still likely to pick it up given his age and potential.

That’s why it was a bit disappointing when he played just one game in the Summer League, as he needs all of the in-game reps he can get.

Killian Hayes is still very raw offensively, so it would have been nice to see him dominate in the Summer League for a few games, especially when we saw more established players like Isaiah Stewart participating in order to work on his game.

I also thought Hayes might get some additional experience and reps with the French team in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament this summer, but for some reason, he wasn’t even on the roster.

Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes left off French roster in EuroBasket

France has one of the best teams in the EuroBasket tournament and is one of the frontrunners to win it after making the semi-finals.

They are loaded with NBA talent including Rudy Gobert, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarro, Evan Fournier and Theo Maledon.

In fact, when you look at what is coming for France, they could be the next powerhouse in international basketball.

It would have been nice for Killian Hayes to play with a quality team against top international competition this summer, but instead we are getting 1v0 workout videos of him dribbling. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure he’s putting in the work, but he needs experience in real games.

So why was he left off the roster? It’s possible that he was unsolicited, as France has a quality team and simply may not have needed/wanted him.

There’s also the chance that Hayes was encouraged to stay and work out with other members of the Detroit Pistons so that the team could keep an eye on him and have more control over what he was doing. Hayes has battled injuries the last few seasons, so he may have been held out as a precautionary measure to ensure he is healthy to start the season.

France carried four point guards, Elle Okobo, Theo Maledon, Andrew Albicy and Thomas Heurtel, only one of which is in the NBA. Maledon hasn’t been any better than Hayes in his first two seasons in the NBA, so it was surprising that he got the call and Killian didn’t.

Only veteran Heurtel has really made an impact, as the rest of the French point guards (including Maledon) have barely played while the 33-year-old gets most of the minutes.

France will take on Poland in the semi-finals today and is expected to win, but Killian Hayes will be watching his fellow countrymen from home.