Killian Hayes

At 22 years old, Killian Hayes has this physical status:

Early life and career

Hayes was born in Lakeland, Florida, United States, in the same hospital as his father, DeRon Hayes, who was playing basketball in the American Basketball Association (ABA) at the time. Hayes began living in Cholet, France, after his father's career in the LNB Pro A, the country's top league, one year ago. He began playing basketball at an early age, challenging older opponents and playing pick-up games in Lakeland and Orlando, Florida. Hayes watched highlights from basketball games on YouTube, inspired by basketball player Dwyane Wade and the AND1 mixtapes to learn new moves. He played for Cholet Basket, his father's former team, at the youth level. Despite wishing to play high school and college basketball in the United States, he stayed in France on the advice of his father, who had graduated from the American basketball system.

Hayes declined to enroll INSEP, a prestigious sports academy in Paris, following his parents' example in 2016. In the 2016–17 season, he started playing for Espoirs Cholet, the French under-21 league, and was five to seven years younger than most of his opponents. Hayes averaged 4.7 points and 2.3 assists in 15.4 minutes per game in seven Espoirs games. He earned 13 points, seven assists, and five steals in April 2017, earning Addison Patterson's Most Valuable Player (MVP) distinctions at the Jordan Brand Classic International Game. For Espoirs Cholet, the Hayes averaged 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game during the 2017-18 season. He was named league MVP after the regular season and helped his team win the Trophée du Futur (Trophy of the Future), earning the honor of the competition as MVP.

Professional career

Hayes made his Cholet senior team debut on October 21, 2017, aged 16 years, two months, and 24 days of age, losing in a loss to Nanterre 92 in the LNB Pro A. During NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, where he was the second youngest participant, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders camp in February 2018. Hayes scored 12 points and six assists in a victory over Le Mans on May 15, his best showing of the season. He finished the season with 2.2 points and 1.2 assists in 9.1 minutes per game through nine appearances.

After considering several other European clubs before the 2018–19 season, he signed a three-year professional deal with Cholet. Hayes scored 12 points in a loss to Strasbourg on September 22, 2018, his first appearance of the season, after missing three weeks due to back and toe injuries. Régis Boissié, the team's head coach, was fired early in the season after being replaced by Erman Kunter. Hayes initially thought he had "made a huge mistake by remaining in Europe," as a result of Cholet's inability. For the second time, he attended the Basketball Without Borders camp in Charlotte, North Carolina, in February. In a loss to Élan Chalon, Hayes recorded a season-high 17 points, five rebounds, and five steals on May 30, 2019. Hayes averaged 7.1 points and 3.1 assists per game in 34 games.

Hayes signed a three-year deal with ratiopharm Ulm of Germany's top league (BBL) and the EuroCup on August 2, 2019. In a win over Rasta Vechta on September 24, he made his debut on September 24th, with 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. In a loss to Virtus Bologna, Hayes played his first EuroCup game on October 2nd, finishing with eight points, nine assists, and three steals. In a loss to Alba Berlin on Sunday, he earned his first double-double in his career, with 11 points and 11 assists. In an 81-78 victory over Brose Bamberg, Hayes scored a then-high 24 points, as well as five assists and three steals. In a loss to Promitheas Patras on November 20, he scored 12 points and 11 assists, becoming the second-youngest player to ever record a double-double in the EuroCup, with Ricky Rubio being the youngest. Hayes recorded a new career-high in scoring on December 18, 25 points, five three-pointers, and five assists in a 96–92 loss to Maccabi Rishon LeZion. In a 112–106 overtime loss to Alba Berlin on February 11, he had 20 points and 10 assists. Hayes returned to his family in Lakeland after the BBL was suspended on March 8th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He declared for the 2020 NBA draft on March 27th. The Hayes did not participate in the BBL Final Tournament held in June. Through 33 combined games in the EuroCup, BBL, and BBL-Pokal, he averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

The Detroit Pistons drafted Hayes seventh overall in the 2020 NBA draft. Hayes signed his rookie scale deal with the Pistons on December 1, 2020. He suffered a hip injury on January 4, 2021, during a 115–125 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was diagnosed as a labral tear two days later. He was out for at least two months due to the accident on January 20. Hayes lost 105-115 to the Dallas Mavericks on April 29th. In a season-high 11 assists. In a 96–108 loss to the Chicago Bulls on 9 May, he scored a season-high 21 points, as well as seven rebounds and eight assists.

Hayes had a career-high 12 assists, as well as 11 points, in a 119–141 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on February 11, 2022. In a 110-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored a career-high 26 points, as well as eight assists, seven rebounds, and five steals.

National team career

Hayes was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship in Podgorica, Montenegro, while representing France. He had 16.6 points, seven rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, leading his team to a gold medal. Hayes earned a silver medal and was named to the All-Star Five at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina, despite averaging 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. The French Federation of Basketball suspended Hayes for failing to compete in the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship in Tel Aviv, Israel, in July 2019.

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