In the history of the Detroit Pistons, I’m not sure there has been a more polarizing player than Killian Hayes. Depending on who you ask, he’s either a total bust on his way to Shanghai, or a young budding star who just needs time and the right environment to succeed.
The former 7th pick is entering his 4th season, the final on his current contract. It’s possible he’ll get an extension this summer, but if not he will either be traded or become a free agent at the end of the season.
So Hayes was already in contractual purgatory and that was before the Detroit Pistons traded up to draft guard Marcus Sasser and then traded for veteran point guard Monte Morris, not exactly a ringing endorsement for Killian Hayes.
This will be the first time that Hayes has had to compete for minutes against guys who were not veteran journeymen or fringe G-League players, so it will either bring out the best in him or it won’t.
Should the Detroit Pistons trade Killian Hayes?
The moves the Pistons have made this offseason have led to rampant speculation that Killian Hayes is on his way out the door.
The 21-year-old has flashed signs of being a really good player at times, but his inconsistency on the offensive end led Detroit to explore other options. Monte Morris is a solid veteran point guard who takes care of the ball, can defend a little and is just under 40 percent from long range for his career.
Same with Marcus Sasser, who was one of the best volume 3-point shooters in college over the last two seasons and also has some skill defending.
This could lead the Pistons to pursue trade options with Hayes, but would now be the right time to do it? One publication thinks so.
Grade the trade: Pistons dump Killian Hayes in proposed deal
Killian Hayes is owed $7.4 million next season, a hefty price for a guy who may not even be in the rotation.
So trading him does make some sense, but to who and for what are the real questions. If you believe this recent proposal from HoopsHabit, fans of the Pistons may be less than thrilled with the return:
In this trade, Detroit sends Killian Hayes to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for two second-round picks, one from the Lakers and one from the Pelicans, two teams who hope to be in the playoffs next season.
From the Spurs’ perspective this makes perfect sense, as they need a backup point guard, have signaled that they’ll be patient building around Victor Wembanyama and have the developmental minutes to give to Hayes.
Wembanyama would have someone else to speak French to, and if Gregg Popovich can’t coax the best out of Hayes, then he probably is headed to China. The Spurs have bench shooting and could put the right kinds of guys around Hayes to help him succeed. So it makes sense for them.
But what about for the Detroit Pistons?
Grade the trade: Pistons dump Killian Hayes in proposed deal
Let’s face it, Killian Hayes’ value has probably never been lower as a guy on an expiring contract who was one of the worst shooters in the NBA last season.
Selling now would be the ultimate act of selling low, as second-round picks come and go like Monopoly money, so all the Pisotns would really be getting back is $7.4 million in cap space.
It’s a tough trade to grade: On one hand, if Hayes ever figures it out, he’ll be worth far more than two second-round picks. On the other, getting cap space is about the most the Pistons could hope for at this point, so it’s not like there is a big deal waiting out there for Hayes.
Even though I am not a big Hayes believer, it seems pointless to trade him now, as his value isn’t going to get any lower and his salary could end up being valuable in a trade down the line, especially if he plays well to start the season.
Of course, he may not play at all, in which case Detroit will have an angry, overpaid fourth point guard on their bench waiting to flee for greener pastures.
I don’t think the Pistons can do much better than this, and if they had an idea of how to use that cap space to benefit next year’s roster, it may be worth it to dump Hayes now.
But there’s no big risk in keeping him, so I say let him compete for minutes and see if that brings out the best version of him. The best version of Hayes is a good player, but will we ever see it? This trade doesn’t thrill me or move the needle for Detroit, and the grade reflects that.
Grade: C-