Ex-Pistons Top Pick Reaches Major Milestone in NBA G League

Killian Hayes had a stellar performance in the NBA G League.

Feb 7, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes (7) celebrates with team mates after a time out was called during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Killian Hayes redemption tour seems to be going well in the NBA G League. Recently, the former Detroit Pistons lottery pick reached a major milestone with his current team, the Long Island Nets.

For the first time in his career, Hayes notched a triple-double. He scored 15 points while coming down with 11 rebounds and dishing out 12 assists against the Washington Wizards’ affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

While Hayes’ performance was a bright spot for the Brooklyn Nets’ affiliate, Long Island came up short with a 137-121 loss. Hayes is finding his rhythm as the Nets prepare their tournament play.

15 PTS 👏 11 REB 👏 12 AST

Former NBA lottery pick Killian Hayes posted his first career TRIPLE-DOUBLE for the @longislandnets! This also marked his career-high in rebounds and a season-high in assists. pic.twitter.com/kJDLl3O5Pg

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 15, 2024

This season, Hayes has appeared in 13 games for the Nets. He’s averaging 13 points while making 42 percent of his shots from the field.

From three, Hayes is attempting four shots per game. He’s been knocking down threes at a 28 percent clip.

Along with his scoring, Hayes is coming down with five rebounds per game. He’s dished out seven assists while turning the ball over fewer than three times per game. Defensively, he’s snatched nearly two steals per game, and blocks nearly one shot per outing.

The 2024-2025 NBA G League season is offering the former lottery pick a chance to showcase himself for NBA teams who might’ve soured on Hayes from his Pistons stint.

In 2020, Hayes was a projected lottery pick and was selected within the Top 10. The Pistons called on the EuroCup standout to join the team as the seventh-overall pick. With a lot of pressure attached to his draft position, Hayes struggled to live up to the high expectations.

Playing on a rebuilding squad, Hayes had plenty of playing time to develop. In a shooter’s league, he struggled with efficiency. In over 200 games, Hayes averaged just 38 percent from the field while shooting 28 percent from three.

During his final run with the Pistons, Hayes averaged about seven points while producing five assists per game. Despite getting 31 starts in the 42 games he played, Hayes was a trade deadline cut. The Pistons moved on after four seasons. The former seventh-overall pick didn’t find a new team right away.

Ahead of the 2024-2025 season, Hayes signed with the Nets. An injury kept him sidelined throughout the preseason. Considering he didn’t get a chance to showcase himself during the preseason, Hayes will have to stand out in the G League in order to earn another shot at the highest level.