Detroit Pistons: How much is too much for Killian Hayes?

The Detroit Pistons have plenty of roster decisions to make this summer, and one of the most important is what to do with Killian Hayes.

You won’t find a more polarizing Piston for the fans, as his believers think he can be a great two-way point guard while his detractors think Hayes is already a bust even though he is just 21-years-old.

We all know the story by now, Hayes can defend and pass but is currently the worst shooter in the NBA. But the guy has a good feel for the game, is still very young, and at least has the potential to be a quality backup.

Now that the Pistons have both Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, Hayes has been put on the back burner as far as future importance to the team, but securing a guy who could be a very good backup at the right price could potentially be a big win for Detroit.

The real question is what that price is and whether the Detroit Pistons or Killian Hayes will be open to it.

Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes next contract

The Detroit Pistons have already exercised their team option on Killian Hayes for next season and he will make $7.4 million, which is big money for a backup point guard on a rookie contract.

It’s hard to imagine the Pistons wanting to pay him that much per year in the next deal unless he shows big improvement next season. He doesn’t have to suddenly morph into Chris Paul, but he needs to be a consistent impact player off the bench.

The blueprint for Hayes’ next deal may be Hamidou Diallo, who got a 2 year/$10 million extension from the Pistons and will likely get a bit more in his next deal albeit with a different team.

If Detroit could lock Killian up for two additional years at that price, it would be worth it, as he would essentially be making CoJo money, in other words, the salary of a third point guard.

But Hayes undoubtedly sees himself as more than that, so why would he take less? Some other team would almost certainly match that in restricted free agency on potential alone. It would be silly for the Pistons to offer much more in terms of years or guaranteed money, and it would be equally silly for Hayes to take it, as a breakout season from him could mean a big raise.

In other words, it’s doubtful that Hayes gets an extension this summer, as both he and the team have good reason to let next season play out before deciding on the future.