You don't see a lot of No. 7 overall picks waived while still they're on their rookie deals, particularly when they started 31 of the 42 games they'd played that season up until that point.
That makes former Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes an outlier.
The lefty guard was in the way of higher developmental priorities with the Pistons, yet head coach Monty Williams continued to play him. The most favorable reading of that decision is to frame it as an effort to boost Hayes' trade value.
Apparently, he had none. That's not a shock given that Hayes' 45.6 true shooting percentage ranks dead last among the 184 players who attempted at least 1,500 total field goals since 2020-21.
With that said, Hayes is still just 22, has never played in a winning situation and has the potential to develop into a quality facilitator who can defend his position. It might be safe to rule out the shot at stardom you'd like from a lottery pick, but Hayes is a long way from total lost-cause status.
The Oklahoma City Thunder employ renowned shot doctor Chip Engelland, the Washington Wizards could justify taking a flyer based on Hayes' draft pedigree, and virtually any other rebuilding organization should at least kick the tires on him.
But the San Antonio Spurs make the most sense of all.
The Spurs spent the early part of the season trying to shoehorn Jeremy Sochan into the point guard spot and have since turned the position over to Tre Jones. Serviceable but far from a star, Jones is just as much of a three-point liability as Hayes (career 27.8 percent on threes; Hayes is at 27.7 percent) and is more of a stopgap than a high-upside piece of the franchise's future.
Hayes might find comfort and his top form playing alongside fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, and his youth gives him a chance to grow with an intriguing but inexperienced core. Even if San Antonio isn't sure it wants to be in the Hayes business long term, it should bring him in for the remainder of the season and see if a change of scenery does him some good.
