Former Detroit Pistons Lottery Pick Waived Following Preseason

Former Pistons guard Killian Hayes reportedly waived by Brooklyn Nets.

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

Following last year's trade deadline, the Detroit Pistons parted ways with Killian Hayes. After landing with a new team over the summer, the former lottery pick once again finds himself on the open market.

Hayes, who the Pistons drafted 7th overall in 2020, was a long-term project that didn't pan out for Detroit. With other guard prospects needing playing time, they decided to shop the 23-year-old at the deadline. When no teams showed interest in him, the Pistons had no choice but to waive Hayes.

Come the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets decided to take a chance on Hayes in free agency. That has now come to an end, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday that he has been waived again. After recovering from a hip injury, Hayes is expected to pursue a deal in the G-League.

The Brooklyn Nets are waiving former No. 7 pick Killian Hayes, sources tell ESPN. Hayes will continue to rehab a hip injury and pursue an NBA deal with Nets' Long Island G League affiliate. pic.twitter.com/JGzzjCjzOO

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2024

Hayes never ended up taking the floor for the Nets in preseason, which likely played a part in him getting waived. Now, the young guard once again finds himself on a quest to land a spot on an NBA roster.

During his tenure with the Pistons, Hayes played in a total of 210 games across four seasons. In that time, he averaged 8.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG. Before being waived last year, Hayes started in 31 of the 42 games he played in for Monty Williams.

Still only 23-years-old, there is still a chance for Hayes to turn things around in regards to his NBA career. Playing in the G-League could yield positive results for him, getting to work on his game in a less stressful environment. That said, he'll really need to impress at that level if he wants another NBA team to take a flier on him.